2 10 15 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/b427575ca76493140f2e89f29b69844d.pdf fe68fdc2b9e080318e6b92a7887591e0 PDF Text Text One Ohio Now Street vibeS a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 PG 7 april 15, 2011 Prostitution: Crime or controversial career? 1 PG 11 iSSUe 197 ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNIT Y $1 Health Care For the Homeless program is a Mobile Marvel The Cincinnati Health Network is in charge of the Health Care for the Homeless Program, and the medical van and the Elm Street Clinic are parts of the Health Care for the Homeless Program. The Cincinnati Health Department provides the medical staff, support team, laboratory and pharmaceutical services and other important aspects of the programs. The clinic opened on November 15, 2010. CArLY TAMBOrSkI Contributing Writer O n a cold, brisk afternoon, light snow falls from the sky onto downtown Cincinnati, prompting a steady flow of people to make the walk to the Drop Inn Center on 12th Street. Not only do these people hope to seek shelter from the weather, they know that it’s Wednesday: the medical van will be there today. Every Monday and Wednesday, the McMicken Health Collaborative’s medical van visits the Drop Inn Center at 2 p.m. to offer medical care to residents who can’t afford it themselves, and it doesn’t cost them a dime. When it’s not at the Drop Inn Center, the van also visits shelters, transitional housing and other area locations where the homeless congregate, as sometimes the homeless are reluctant to come to the Elm Street Clinic. On this particular afternoon, Stephanie Blackwell, a medical assistant, walks into the Drop Inn Center and across the open cafeteria to a small room, where she unlocks Med Van. Vinit Murthy, Streetvibes Photographer ­ a door. About 15 homeless people are sitting at tables surrounding the room, waiting patiently to sign up to see the doctor. Some rest their heads in their folded arms on the tables, looking too tired for words, while others energetically look around the room. Sometimes, people may wait for 2-3 hours to see the doctor on the medical van, who sees about 25-30 patients during one visit. Blackwell has worked with the collaborative for about six months, so she’s familiar with the procedures of the care system. “We basically provide medical care to the homeless, today for people that are in the Drop Inn Center.,” Blackwell said. “We can give injections, EKGs -- anything that we do in a doctor’s office we do in here on the van. We can do minor things like IUDs, incision and drainage, staple removals; we can do pap smears here. It’s like primary care for the homeless.” The van also provides pregnancy tests, blood draws, strep screens, urine analyses, blood sugar tests and HBA1c and INR tests. Patients needing radiology, referrals and Med Van. The Mobile Marvel, providing care to those in need Vinit Murthy, Streetvibes Photographer other special tests are referred to University Hospital and given an order signed by a Health Care for the Homeless physician. While Blackwell’s coworker gets the van ready, she uses the small room to triage the patients. She passes around a sign in sheet and light paperwork for the patients, who are required to provide their name, social security number and contact information, if they have any. They are also required to sign a declaration of their homelessness. Blackwell takes their vital signs and asks what prompted the patient to seek help. She assesses the type of care they may need and then individually sends the patients outside to see the doctor on the van. There’s usually one doctor and two medical assistants -- like Blackwell -- present during the van’s operating hours. The vehicle has two exam rooms on either side of it, and in the middle, has a sink, file cabinets, supplies and patient files, truly making it a doctor’s office on wheels. To summarize the nuts and bolts of the operation, the Cincinnati Health Network is in charge of the Health Care for the Homeless Program, and the medical van and the Elm Street Clinic are parts of the Health Care for the Homeless Program. The Cincinnati Health Department provides the medical staff, support team, laboratory and pharmaceutical services and other important aspects of the programs. The clinic opened on November 15, 2010. According to the network’s 2009 data, the Health Care for the Homeless Program helped approximately 7,035 patients, and the van assisted 4,502 of those people. The program sees the types of patients one might expect to see in the underprivileged urban setting: primarily adult males and few children, with 69 percent of patients being males. Children living in poverty in Ohio qualify for other types of coverage that adults do not, which reflects why only about 6 percent of patients were under the age of 19. “The largest group of people we see are African American men, which I think is what you typically see in a shelter as well,” said Jackie Campbell, program manager for the Health Care for the Homeless Program. “Fifty-six percent of patients are African American men and 2 percent are Hispanic/Latino.” Campbell, who has a Master’s in public health, has been the program manager for about a year and a half but has always worked in non-profit healthcare. A van existed in the early 90s, but a revamped one was introduced in 2006. The Cincinnati Health Network purchased the van but leases it to the Cincinnati Health Department. The services offered on the van and in the clinic differ somewhat. The clinic offers dental, behavioral and primary care services, while the van mainly offers primary care. The van works with doctors and medical assistants, but the clinic has doctors, nurses, a nurse manager, a practice manager, a dental team, medical and dental students, volunteers and two mental health counselors, among other staff members. “With the clinic, we’re trying to provide a ‘medical home’ for homeless people instead of going to the ER every time where they’d see a different person,” Campbell said. While the services performed are at no cost to the patient, running the program (the clinic and van) is quite expensive and does require funding from multiple sources. Some support comes from federal funding and the American Recovery Act, as well as donations and grants. Even though the services are no cost to patients if a patient is homeless but has some sort of income, they may be asked to pay a small amount. “The cost of operating the van is fairly expensive,” Campbell said. “We have to pay doctors, pay for equipment, pay for medication. Less than 10 percent of our patients have any form of insurance to pay with.” See Health Care for the Homeless Pg. 4 �Editorial 2 150 The percentage homelessness has increased in Cincinnati in the past 15 years. ‘Health care for the homeless program is a mobile marvel’ Page 1 Every 2 …minutes in the United States that someone is sexually assaulted. ‘Editorial’ Page 2 25 The number of years now local, published author of the book ‘Sworn Not To Betray’battled with the legal system before completely turning his life around with his paroled release in 2005. ‘Sworn Not to Betray’ Page 3 120 The number of members performing with SCPA’s Primary Strings. ‘Building Bridges with Neighbors’ Page 4 1,300 The number of people who attended the 50th Anniversary General Meeting for Amnesty International in San Francisco on March 18th. ‘Shine A Light on Human Rights!’ Page 5 25 The percentage of African Americans nationwide that do not have a government-issued photo ID. ‘An Article from the Free Press: Ohio Republicans pass new Jim Crow bill disenfranchising 900,000 voters’ Page 6 4-5-2011 The date The People’s Empowerment Coalition, GCCH Staff, and volunteers went to the Columbus Statehouse to fight for health care and Ohio Social Programs that are in danger of being cut. ‘One Ohio Now’ Page 7 5 The number of poetry books that Elisa Hill has written. ‘By the Grace of God, A Story of Survival and Strength’ Page 8 1972 The year New York Times columnist Gail Collins founded The Connecticut State News Bureau. ‘Q&A with New York Times columnist Gail Collins’ Page 10 Street vibeS april 15, 2011 A quick production note to the readers: After careful consideration, we have decided to change the production and distribution schedule for Streetvibes to every other Friday instead of the twice-monthly printing on the first and fifteenth. There are many reasons behind this but the one I find most important is that this gives our distributors a solid, standing date and time that they can receive their papers. This is to let you know and of course, this will allow for two extra issues of Streetvibes per year! You will also notice a change in the way Streetvibes looks. This is due to our incredible lay out artist Liz. Elizabeth Schulenberg put together the amazing new changes to the look and feel of the paper. She works tirelessly as a volunteer, in her spare time, for free to literally map out the entire paper. For that, I cannot thank her enough. It is because of her that our paper is taking its next steps to being the best looking street paper in print. Now about this issue: I am really proud of one particular feature we have in this issue, an inspiring story by a local woman named Elisa. I met Elisa Hill a few months ago. She came into my office to ask if I had received her work. “Nope.” I said. “Never saw it.” I had just come in as Editor, and the transition especially right at Christmas was difficult. She explained to me that she wrote poetry and had even put together an autobiographical piece about her life. She went further into detail and asked for my advice and if I would be interested in the story. I expressed my attention and encouraged her to be honest in her writing, as honest as she could despite how hard it may be. Looking at her, I could see a strong woman, a fighter. I saw me. She is beautiful but you can see she has had to kick, climb, and struggle to survive. When we did the March Women’s Herstory Issues, I asked Elisa to write a piece for it. After I got all the stories from our writers and the other features as much as I did not like it, there was just no room for Elisa’s story. I am so pleased to share her story in this issue of Streetvibes. I cried when I read it through the first time. Elisa suffered like so many others silently at the hands of another who assaulted her. Every 2 minutes someone in our country is sexually assaulted.* Here is the math. According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey -- the country’s largest and most reliable crime study -- there were 248,300 sexual assaults in 2007 (the most recent data available). Moreover, 15 out 16 rapists will never spend a day in jail for their crime. I am honored to share a story of hope and bravery with the other women in Elisa’s own words. You can read her story on page 8. Bravery and hope are nothing new to this community of Over the Rhine. This is a community that fights day after day to just live, to survive. The day I write this is April 7th. This afternoon I attended the remembrance of Timothy Thomas at the corner of 13th and Race. The strength this community has to overcome is beyond anything I have ever seen. The people here in this core are stronger than most. 10 years after the Civil Unrest and this community still stands tall despite people and groups that come in trying to take it apart. I wanted to share with you something so beautiful and profound written by our Education Coordinator Jeni Jenkins. These are her thoughts on the Ten Year Remembrance of the Unrest. “When a community is replete with the belief that certain individuals are inherently superior to other individuals and when a belief becomes institutionalized and drives discrimination, hatred and violence, eventually it becomes necessary for the victims to come together, rise up and speak out. Those who have been taught to hate difference must decide to analyze where that hate comes from. They must decide to listen. They must decide to walk in the shoes of difference. If those who speak out are not heard they will rise.” *Statistics courtesy of www.rainn.org Everyone Poops (and pees)! From the Director JoSH Spring Executive Director So it seems to finally be getting warm. For a while it seemed like winter might just continue forever. But after so long to see and even feel a ray of sun is a welcomed gift. Thoughts of spring and summer conjure visions of people. It is in these months that folks emerge from wherever they have been taking winter-refuge and begin to once again interact with one another. As a result, these are months to cherish. As more people come out to enjoy the warmth, parks will begin to become active. It seems that most folks enjoy a nice rest in a neighborhood park or a conversation with a friend on the edge of a park. Perhaps the conversation is about the latest proposals coming from congress or the attempts to stop the proposals. Perhaps the conversation is about the most recent sports game, or a mutual friend down the block. Some people may be talking about things they see eye to eye on or subjects they completely disagree on. However after some time out in the community, everyone is brought together by one common denominator. Eventually, if one spends enough time out, she or he will have to go to the bathroomto take care of the necessities. That’s right, I’m talking about it. Eventually, after enough time out everyone is going to have to pee and/or poop. Relieving oneself is a simple fact of life. If we can agree on nothing else, we can agree on this. The other thing we can agree on is that most people prefer to take care of the necessities with a certain level of privacy. And finally, with these two commonalities behind us, we can probably also agree that most people do not want to step in another person’s necessities or watch another person complete her or his necessities. Over-the-Rhine and the Central Business District are about to become stinky places. This is because our common denominator in Over-the-Rhine has been torn down. 3CDC has torn down the public restroom in Washington Park and despite promises to establish temporary port-o-lets, has now said they will do no such thing. Normally these restrooms would re-open in mid-April after a winter hiatus. What happens when a highly relied upon public restroom is removed with no temporary replacement? Do people stop having the need to evacuate waste from their bodies? Certainly not. Again, everybody poops (and pees). So when a highly used public restroom is removed with no temporary replacement, many people use the bathroom outside. And if you are in an urban setting like Over-the-Rhine and the Central Business District, using the bathroom outside probably does not mean behind a tree or in a grassy field. At best using the bathroom outside means using an See Everyone Poops Pg. 3 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: jenmatrin@cincihomeless.org Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Jen Martin, jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Art Director Elizabeth Schulenberg Contributing Writers Jim Luken, Saad Ghosn, Jeni Jenkins, Willa Denise Jones, Jennifer Martin, Josh Spring, Sheli DeLaney, Lee McCoy, Corey Gibson, B. Clifton Burke, Cleo Wombles, Mayuko Hida, Yushin Toda, Dan Moore, Kelissa Hieber, Sandra Knollman, Brenda Zechmeister, Judge Leslie Isaiah Gaines Photography/Artwork Chris Kromer, Sheli DeLaney, Amiee Willhoite, Rico Green, Saad Ghosn, Corey Gibson, Dan Moore, Brenda Zechmeister, Jimmy Heath The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. �Local ­ Street vibeS 3 a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 Sworn Not to Betray ­ Local Cincinnati man Darryl Owens made it through incarceration and addiction to pursue his passion for writing. DArrYL OwENS/TESS SUEThOLz Streetvibes Contributors Darryl Owens. Darryl proudly shows his finished product tess Suetholz I, Darryl Owens, born and raised in the West end Community of Cincinnati, Ohio, am the youngest of eight boys. I’ve lived in almost every neighborhood of the City. At forty nine years of age, I am the proud father of a very beautiful daughter and the grandfather of an equally beautiful grandson. Abandoned by my mother at an early age and raised by a father, whom the State determined to be incapable of supporting our family, I was placed in the home of a family friend. At the age of thirteen, I returned home to live with my family in the Laurel Homes housing project. With a tumultuous life-beginning and an unstable foundation, I was soon forced into a life of petty crime by friends of one of my seven brothers. Over a period of years, I couldn’t seem to escape the life of crime that had become my way of life. It soon became my gateway to a life of drug and alcohol abuse. Eventually, a Thirteenmonth parole became a twenty-five year battle with the judicial system. I was finally a free man and released from parole in 2005. During the 23 years of recidivism, the desire to write became a passion, which soon grew into an obsession. My addictive personality manifested itself in many ways. The irony of it all is that my obsession, help me to overcome another obsession, my crack-cocaine drug addiction. On days when I felt like ending my life, the yearning to commit my thoughts to writing would overrule my thoughts of hopelessness. Despair was counterbalanced by my imbedded thought of not wanting to leave this earth without having done something meaningful with my life and face my God on the Day of Judgment. During my many periods of incarceration, support from family and friends waned. I supported myself by writing letters for my fellow inmates. I was self-inspired by the realization of how creative my mind could be. I became very fascinated and intrigued by how great authors, like Sidney Sheldon, Jackie Collins, Harold Robbins and John Gresham, all of whom were great inspirations, could take a totally fictitious story and make it appear real. This became my quest and how I came to write my first novel, “Sworn Not To Betray”. As the years went by, Cincinnati began to feel less like home. To escape the city that imprisoned me both behind bars and on the streets, I moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in search of a new life and a home with an address. Homelessness is my new prison. Today I live in a Minneapolis shelter. I long for the day when God will bless me with a place of my own. God has surrounded me “During the 23 years of recidivism, the desire to write became a passion, which soon grew into an obsession. My addictive personality manifested itself in many ways. The irony of it all is that my obsession, help me to overcome another obsession, my crack-cocaine drug addiction.” with beautiful people. I can’t thank or praise him enough for the letting my supportive angels come into my life and aid me in fulfilling my life-long endeavor -to share with everyone the gift that he has bestowed upon me. I pray that everyone who takes the time to read “Sworn Not To Betray” will be completely content at the book’s conclusion. Everyone Poops (and pees)! Continued from Pg. 2 alley-way. But because the alley’s are also being gated off by 3CDC, using the bathroom outside more likely means using the sides of buildings, doorways and the privacy behind parked cars as a restroom. Again, this is not because anyone necessarily wants to use the restroom in these places, but because the accepted option has been torn down without replacement. What will this change mean for our community? Of course it will mean that things will be stinky and less healthy. More importantly what will this change mean on a very basic human level? People will be forced to use the bathroom in degrading ways and will therefore feel disrespected. People will have to watch others using the bathroom in this manner or step through the waste from another person and feel disrespected. In the end everyone will walk away feeling disrespected. Even still the greater problem is that not everyone will simply walk away. This unnecessary change will create tension, arguments and potentially violence in our neighborhoods. Can you imagine people on the sidewalk corner arguing because person one peed on person two’s front stoop and person two saw it happen. Person two says hurtful things because she or he feels disrespected because her or his property has been urinated on and person one feels disrespected at being told they are not accepted anywhere; they don’t even have somewhere to carry out the most necessary task. Now these two folks are fighting and growing to dislike one another and making assumptions about one another despite the fact that neither of them created the actual problemneither of them tore down the public restroom. Now imagine that after this scenario plays out a couple of times, person two calls the police and now the police spend time citing the first person with public indecency. Not only are tax-dollars being wasted on a run of this manner, but there is conflict between the first person and the police. Person one is charged with a crime that she or he must go to court to take care of. Here again at court we have more contention. If the person comes out with a final charge it could be as bad a sex-offense, because yes, one can get a sex-offense charge for going to the bathroom outside. I know to some this scenario may sound extreme. However, when you consider the number of people that use a public restroom like the one in Washington Park and the number of months it needs to be open and the already existing contentions over issues like these, the situations painted above are not extreme. Without temporary public port-o-lets we will without doubt see increased contention, arguing, and less peace, not to mention the expenditure of more tax-dollars to squelch the fighting. The frustrating factor in this situation is that all of this is preventable. 3CDC has been planning the work in Washington Park for years. 3CDC has been told for more than a year that temporary bathrooms will be a necessity. They have even at times said they will follow through in providing temporary bathrooms. Despite all of this, 3CDC currently refuses to simply make up for the necessity that they have removed. Here at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless we hope that the City of Cincinnati, the Park Board and 3CDC hear from Citizens demanding that they provide temporary bathrooms before we hear arguments between neighbors and see media reports of more police runs to site people for public urination. Why would we create an ill that we have plenty of time to prevent? “Based on two major crimes which take place within six months of each other, on the same exact date, after the first crime is committed. Cincinnati police commissioner Jake Thorn and F.B.I. head Ryan Schaffer have reason to believe a beautiful blond orchestrated the first crime, but that’s all they have is their suspicions until six months later, when the second crime is committed on Tuesday morning February 8th, and a particular individual becomes the victim of the second crime, this event corroborates both Thorn’s and Schaffer’s suspicions, but still they have no actual proof this beautiful blond is the mastermind of both crimes, so to gather the actual physical evidence they need to prove she is the mastermind, Thorn assigns his three lead detectives, to lead the investigation of the second crime, which is just an extension from the ongoing investigation of the first crime, in the middle of the investigation, Thorn learns one of the three detectives, is possibly working with the woman an her small group of friends, trying to keep them informed of what steps state and federal authorities are planning next, to capture those who committed both crimes. This investigation eventually culminates into one of the biggest crime investigations, to ever take place in the state of Ohio. The police are turning up the heat with everything at their disposal, while an anonymous caller is trying to help the suspects stay one step ahead of the law.” Sworn not to be­ tray By Darryl Owens available now: ­ hotbooksale.com, Barnes&Nobel.com, Borders.com, and �Local 4 Street vibeS april 15, 2011 Building Bridges with Neighbors ­ JENI JENkINS Staff Writer O n Thursday March 17, 2011, 5 elementary students from the School of Creative and Performing Arts performed for an active audience at the Drop Inn Center shelter. Music teacher Steve Mason led the students on piano as a group of residents leaned back and listened to the beautiful violins. The students are part of a 120-member group of K-3 violin students in SCPA’s Select Primary Strings. In addition to performing at the Drop Inn Center, students from the same group performed “This particular project is the product of efforts to build a relationship between the Drop Inn Center and SCPA.” for residents of Tender Mercies, another neighboring shelter, earlier in the month. The concerts are part of a larger effort of a local committee determined to build bridges and a solid relationship between SCPA and the Over the Rhine Community as a whole. Since SCPA opened at the new location in August, many people were concerned with its proximity to the Drop Inn Center, Cincinnati’s largest homeless shelter, as well as other social service agencies in the community. Since September, the committee has worked actively with SCPA’s Principal Stanley Flower to initiate educational opportunities as well as service learning and community engagement projects. The members of the committee include invested parents, SCPA alumni, artists and Over the Rhine community members. This particular project is the product of efforts to build a relationship between the Drop Inn Center and SCPA. Joe Wilmers, SCPA social worker and advisor to the committee helped to set up the concerts. Wilmers and the committee also helped to set up educational tours of the Drop Inn Center for staff and faculty of SCPA, an effort that has already changed perceptions. In addition to the concerts and the tours, the committee has helped educate the SCPA community by providing an opportunity for the entire high school to hear from Lauren Lovette, a formerly homeless 20 year old in the Voice of the Homeless Speaker’s Bureau program at the Coaltion for the Homeless. The Speaker’s Bureau is designed to educate students about the realities Health Care For the Homeless program is a Mobile Marvel Continued from Pg. 1 Campbell estimates that the whole program costs about $1.5 million a year just for the medical aspect, for the clinic and van. As Blackwell triages patients, Gregory McIntosh quietly fills out his paperwork. McIntosh has been a resident for three days (WILL CHANGE DEPENDING ON PRINT DATE) and heard about the medical van services from the staff at the Drop Inn Center’s front desk. His hands shake as he holds the pen, spelling out his name, but that’s why he’s here. “I had surgery on my right arm and I wanted to talk to the doctor about my hands swellin’ up and shakin’,” McIntosh said. “When I sleep my arms go numb and stuff, and when I carry stuff or pick up stuff my hands cramp up. My left arm goes numb, too. I had the surgery a long time ago because I had a bone infection. I don’t know what caused it, but for the last 20 or 30 years I’ve been going through this.” The services provided in both the van and the clinic may play a major role in the lives of the homeless who receive their services. Having a good health care center impacts the ability of the homeless to keep jobs and housing. “People who are homeless tend to have a lot of health issues,” Campbell said. “They have no control over their diet. They may over or under eat at times. A lot of them have diabetes. They have injuries and get hypothermia. A fair amount have mental illness or substance abuse problems. We see a lot of cold and flu patients. We also see a lot of people with HIV and hepatitis, and sometimes people with serious cardiac problems.” One of those cold and flu patients is La’Shae Parker, who’s been a resident at the Drop Inn Center since February 8th. Parker walks out of the triage room with a bag of cough drops in hand. Receiving them doesn’t require an examination in the van, but she has been on it before. SCPA Concert. Students take stage leslie Hurst of homelessness and combat harmful stereotypes. Committee member David Rosenthal, director of Prairie Inc., a non-profit arts education organization, is also working with high school students of SCPA creative writing teacher Dr. Joy Fowler, in a photography and writing project called “I usually use the services every time they come, you know, just to get cough drops,” Parker said. “I get cough drops a lot. You get sick in here a lot. I mean I’ve been to the van. I was having back pains and they gave me a script for some muscle relaxers, and then I took it down to the clinic.” The issues of McIntosh and Parker are mainly physical, but not all of the residents hoping to see the doctor suffer from physical pain or the symptoms of cold weather. “Mental health issues are very common among the homeless, and providing behavioral health services is a very important part of our program,” said Campbell. Behavioral health counselors are not present on the van, but it does have a list of phone numbers and other resources available, and guidance is given to patients who express a concern with their mental health. Behavioral health counselors do work at the clinic, which has two mental health counselors. They provide counseling and treatment to those with anxiety and mild to moderate depression. One person who knows just how important that service is Joe Valencik. Valencik was on his way from Arizona to see his brother in Pennsylvania when he stopped at the Drop Inn Center. He’s been a resident there for a few weeks. “I’m here to get my medication. I got a little issue with depression and anxiety, and around here this place can build up so much depression and anxiety, you know what I mean?” Valencik said with a light laugh, as he motioned to the room around him. “It sounds like they provide an awesome service. From what I’ve been told, they will give me an analysis and they will prescribe me what’s needed, and then I can take it down to the clinic. I was told that with the issues I have, I need to see [the mental health counselor], and talk to him, so, especially being this far away from home and having nowhere to go, that’s a lot of anxiety. Today I’m gonna give him my ex-doctor’s number.” The medical van provides common prescription and over-the-counter drugs, but does not prescribe controlled substances. If a patient at the medical van needs a certain prescription filled, the van will provide a script but does not fill it there. Patients need to take the prescription to the Elm Street Clinic, along with a special Cincinnati Health Department form that must be signed by a Health Care for the Homeless medical van physician. According to the Cincinnati Health Network, the homeless population in Cincinnati has increased 150 percent in the past 15 years. New Voices. New Voices gives SCPA students an opportunity to learn and voice their opinions about the community of Over-the-Rhine. Through out the project the students are teaming up with residents of Over the Rhine Community Housing, another SCPA neighbor. Great Books! visit www.cincybooks.com �Autism Awareness Month Street vibeS 5 a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 Shine a Light on human rights! Amnesty International kicked off its 50th Anniversary year with a record breaking crowd at its annual meeting. Held in San Francisco on March 18th through the 20th 2011, a record-breaking crowd of over 1,300 people attended this Annual General Meeting. Over the course of our historic weekend, Amnesty International members, friends and visitors enjoyed the variety of workshops and speakers, which was held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, CA – the same hotel where the delegates gathered for the International Conference which led to the birth of the United Nations, in the late 1940’s. LAUrA OSBOrN-COffEY Contributing Writer Amnesty International USA Group #86 Coordinator T he program was packed with many activities. Friday was a day for the membership teams to meet – which included everything from ‘Human rights educators for social justice,’ to a town hall meeting with Amnesty’s Board of Directors. That evening the opening ceremonies included an inspirational speech from Larry Cox, current Executive Director of Amnesty International. He exhorted conference goers to not only participate during the weekend – but also to commit to continued participation in human rights events over the next year, as Amnesty begins its 50th anniversary year. Special entertainers that evening included music from Saul Hernandez of the Jaguares, who spends much time working on behalf of the women of Atenco, Mexico. Steve Earle – activist, author and musician – was the next guest, and he wowed the crowd with his usual appropriate music. Finally Joan Baez came on stage to share some of her own stories of her activism and of joining forces with Amnesty’s work back in the 1960’s – long before half of the conference goers were born! She told one particularly funny story about herself and another woman, who were trying to smuggle money into a ‘un-named’ prisoner in an ‘un-named’ country. Her friend packed the money into her hosiery, while Joan hid it in a more discreet area. As they were on a bus and trying to get through what passed for custom’s back then, her friend’s hose broke and the money was all over the floor of the bus. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Baez’ story and her singing song’s she’s made famous, plus joining with Steve Earle to sing his tunes. Saturday started with a large presentation by many people – including a video message from former President Jimmy Carter, and an introduction to the Conference Goers Pose with Larry Cox Laura Osborne-Coffey is an annual award given to the Amnesty Local or community group who did terrific human rights work in 2010. Workshops which were presented during the weekend included topics such as: A Mother lost every 90 seconds – Maternal Health around the World, Unimpeachable Voices Against the Death Penalty, Hi-Tech Activism, Human Rights Defenders at Risk, Holding Oil Companies Accountable, Caught in the Dragnet: Migrants in America, and Security with Human Rights. I attended a workshop titled: Muzzling the Watchdogs – Journalists and Freedom of “The energy and passion that was brought to the conference was awe-inspiring. The members and friends of Amnesty who attended the 2011 Annual General Meeting walked away with a renewed confidence, and the commitment to carry it forward for the rest of the year with passion and energy for the human rights movement.” day by Larry Cox. The keynote speech was given by Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Salil Shetty, who highlighted the importance of building the movement and recruiting new members to become an even louder voice for human dignity. The leadership awards for Amnesty USA were also presented to local groups and student activists – including our own Cincinnati Group 86! Our group was one of the runner’s up for the Sister Laola Hironaka Award, which Expression under Fire. The speakers in this workshop were Lydia Cacho, Roxana Saberi, and J.S. Tissasanayagam (‘Tissa’). They each made very poignant speeches on their arrest and release, mainly due to Amnesty’s efforts. I was touched, as our Cincinnati group had worked on the case of Tissa, and he has been a feature of a previous article in Street Vibes. Roxana was also a case featured in the March edition of Street Vibes. The height of the weekend occurred at the Saturday afternoon Plenary session. Michael O’Reilly of the Atlanta Amnesty office promised us a ‘very special guest’. This guest was Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, released Prisoner of Conscience from Burma! A call was arranged for her to address the Annual General meeting, and Daw Suu Kyi thanked the conferencegoers for their unceasing efforts on her behalf over the last fifteen years of her house arrest, in Myanmar (Burma). She made a point to ask that we not forget the other 2000 people still in jail in Myanmar today. When O’Reilly asked her “What gave you strength?” her answer was clear, over the thousand mile call: “Because of people like you. Little Actions all add up to a lot.” She also told the gathered activists that “Your biggest challenge is to let people around the world know that they have human rights. I would like to urge everybody to make a change, to get where we want to with security and freedom.” When the room stood to applaud her call, O’Reilly told Daw Suu Kyi – “That’s what a standing ovation sounds like.” The energy and passion that was brought to the conference was aweinspiring. The members and friends of Amnesty who attended the 2011 Annual General Meeting walked away with a renewed confidence, and the commitment to carry it forward for the rest of the year with passion and energy for the human rights movement. An Article from the free Press Ohio republicans pass new Jim Crow bill disenfranchising 900,000 voters ­ The only IDs that will be accepted to vote in Ohio if this bill passes the overwhelming Republican State Senate are a U.S. passport, a U.S. military ID, an Ohio driver’s license, or an Ohio state ID. This is the most restrictive standard in the nation. Dr. BOB fITrAkIS Editor & Publisher of The free Press (freepress.org), which first published this article. March 23, 2011 W hile Ohio public employees’ rights to bargain collectively are under siege, the Ohio Republican Party executed a perfect sleight of hand by disenfranchising nearly 900,000 Ohio voters. In the most vicious and direct attack on voting rights since Bull Connor ran amok in the deep South, Ohio House Republicans passed HB 159 that requires Ohio voters to produce one of four state photo IDs at the polls. The only IDs that will be accepted in Ohio if this bill passes the overwhelming Republican State Senate are a U.S. passport, a U.S. military ID, an Ohio driver’s license, or an Ohio state ID. This is the most restrictive standard in the nation. The Republican Party’s target is obvious. Studies indicate that 25% of African Americans nationwide do not have a government-issued photo ID, 18% of voters over age 65 do not have a photo ID, and 15% of voters with incomes under $35,000 lack the ID as well. Besides going after blacks, the elderly and the poor, the bill also sets its sights on college students. What do these people have in common? They tend to vote Democratic. The Republicans refuse to discuss an amendment that would have accepted a college student ID with a photo from their own state-funded university, including The Ohio State University, one of the nation’s largest institutions of higher education. Usually cautious critics like Dan Tokaji, Professor of Law at Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law, offered dire assessments: “’Disenfranchisement’ isn’t a word to be used lightly. But it is necessary to capture this bill’s purpose and impact. Passage of this bill would restore our state’s unfortunate reputation as our nation’s capital of vote suppression.” See Free Press Pg. 6 �6 interest Street vibeS april 15, 2011 Mark Twain was right: Stories from the 2001 Cincinnati riots and Unrest ­ DAN MOOrE Author and Illustrator M ark Twain Was Right: Stories from the 2001 Cincinnati Riots and Unrest is a soon to be released graphic novel about United States’ first urban uprising in the 21st century. The following excerpts depict events that occurred during the day on Tuesday and Wednesday April 10th and 11th, 2001, just days after the killing of Timothy Thomas. Of all of the 10-year reflections of the civil unrest, one piece that few people have mentioned was the broad involvement from community members in Over-The-Rhine. While the majority of the media focused on property destruction perpetrated by very small groups or community leaders, hundreds and hundreds of people of all ages and races were consistently involved in marching through the community, shoulder-to­ shoulder, demanding justice. It was not uncommon to see people abandon their car on the sidewalk to join a march that they saw marching by, nor uncommon to see eager community members pouring out of the side streets as a march passed. I believe the broad base of the movement made City Hall realize that this was not a movement that could just be stamped out without any political change. This was not a movement that could just be marginalized as a few trouble-makers. This was a movement that represented the very fabric of the community, where some of the poorest members of Cincinnati’s voices were propelled to the forefront. An Article from the free Press ­ Continued From Pg. 5 The Republicans are justifying their assault on the most basic and fundamental right by invoking the myth of “voter fraud.” Not only have academics like Lori Minnite documented in detail the absence of voter fraud in U.S. politics, Tokaji addressed the issue in Ohio: “The only documented case of impersonation I could find in recent Ohio elections involved absentee voting by a mother pretending to be her daughter. This isn’t surprising. The few people who attempt voter impersonation aren’t likely to risk criminal prosecution by showing up at the polling place; they are much more likely to vote by mail. The bill won’t do anything about mail voting fraud.” Ohio Republicans have frequently cried “voter fraud” while at the same time they’ve hired their political allies like Triad, ES&S and Premier voting systems (formerly Diebold) to secretly count Ohio’s vote with proprietary computer hardware and software. The only way to understand House Bill 159 is to acknowledge its historical significance as the new Jim Crow, which is an even more insidious form of apartheid. This new apartheid encompasses African Americans, and also fits into a deliberate attempt by Ohio Republicans to wage class war against the Buckeye State’s most vulnerable citizens. What the Republican Party did first with Senate Bill 5 by attacking the pensions, health care and collective bargaining rights of public employees was to establish the shock doctrine, outlined by Naomi Klein. The Ohio Republicans are using the state’s projected $8 billion debt as an excuse to destroy the political base of the Democratic Party. First they destroy the public unions and now they’re going after those constituencies who are likely to support the progressive programs of the New Deal and Great Society. Another way to look at the recent activity in Ohio is to see how closely it parallels what the CIA calls “economic destabilization” in the Third World. This tactic throws economies into crisis in order to achieve regime change. Since Ohio is one of the nation’s most important swing states, and no Republican has ever won the presidency without winning Ohio, both Senate Bill 5 and House Bill 159 are the obvious opening shots in the Republican presidential campaign. The Republicans are astute students of numbers and demographics. They understand that they can’t beat Barack Obama in 2012 unless they cheat by restricting voting rights. Sadly, the history of Ohio’s Democratic Party is to roll over and allow the Republicans to do whatever despicable racist and undemocratic acts they wish. �State issues Street vibeS a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 7 one ohio now On April 5th, 2011 The People’s Empowerment Coalition, GCCH Staff, and volunteers took a road trip to the Columbus Statehouse for a very important reason… to rally for health care and other important social programs in Ohio that are in danger of being cut. rICCArDO TAYLOr Civil rights Outreach Coordinator A trip to the Capital, I had the pleasure of going to Columbus to address some of the concerns of the people of the great state of Ohio, Tuesday April 5th 2011. Our objective was to meet with some of the representatives to voice the concerns of their constituents. The ride in the Charter bus was pleasant, as the excitement of opportunity gripped us all. A more determined group of people likely could not have been found for this particular venture, and although we knew not what to expect we traveled with confidence in our mission. To get to the heart of the occasion, we broke into small groups each with an appointment with representatives to air our concerns. My group leader Ron was up to the task, as he was armed with the letter of introduction and grievances we were presenting. Meandering through a crowd of several hundred people from all points of the state we found our way to the office of Representative Ron Maag the fact that we did not have the chance to address Mr. Maag personally was not lost on me, it was understood that being a Standing United for Ohioans rights Matthew huff ­ facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/streetvibesnwes streetvibes.wordpress.com the Statehouse Matthew huff person of his standing, that he had many other important things to do in his job description, so we were interviewed by his aide. With a pleasant smile and direct attention Samantha, (the aide) heard our grievances and noted every detail. The young lady left us with the confidence that everything we presented would be forwarded to her employer and we left with a feeling of accomplishment. Of course the budget cuts were the theme of the day and again, I believe we have started the first phase of voicing the peoples concerns. On to our next stop, we entered the office of Representative Shannon Jones, and being prepared from our first stop we met with the aides of his office. Again the pleasantness of their audience was appreciated and it allowed some ease of tension, when the reality came that we were relying our concern by way word. Of course the aides could not give us definitive answers, but we were assured that our concerns would properly be channeled. All in all, I feel that we made a good impression and again, this I believe was only the beginning of our march to unite a voice for all Ohioans and bring about the fairness in distribution of wealth and equality. �8 Local ­ Street vibeS april 15, 2011 By the Grace of God, A Story of Survival and Strength ­ A true and inspiring story of one Cincinnati woman and her struggle to raise her children despite abuse and fear eliSa Hill Contributing Writer My name is Elisa Hill. I was born and raised in Cincinnati Ohio. I am a mother of three handsome sons, who live with me full time. Christopher is 19, Christian is 17 and Jamar is 13. However, I started out as a young mom giving birth to my first son at age 17. I still had the determination in me to make sure that I graduated high school. So after my son was a few months old, I attended The Cincinnati Job Corps, to receive my GED and to try to master a trade while I was in school. I got my GED when my son was six months old and then received my certification as a Receptionist and a Clerical typist. Two years after my first son I gave birth to my second son, this made things difficult. I had signed up to go to school for my degree in Medical Record Management at Cincinnati State, but ended up quitting school. I had my son in a daycare provided by Hamilton County at the time when he came home one day with bruises on his arm I was told were caused by the daycare provider hitting him with a switch. I had no choice; I removed him from the program and called the police. I filed charges against the woman in question and thankfully she was found guilty and her Child Care Provider license taken away. I tried to continue to work and use other babysitters but it seemed like something would always come up and I did not feel comfortable leaving them. Eventually I had no choice but to stop working just to make sure my children would be safe. Eventually I got a job that allowed me to get my CNA certification so that I could work in nursing home facilities all over. This allowed me to provide for my kids the best I could. After having my third son, I applied to Queen City Vocational School of Nursing LPN Program; I was accepted and began the program in 1998. elisa Hill elisa Hill This was a tough task for me and many other mothers in the program to try to maintain a balance between being mothers, providers for our children as well as nursing students. This made things hard, so hard in fact that I had failed my second term in school, but I did not give up. I audited the remainder of the term, then returned in the new term and continued my nursing education. I graduated in 1999. I received my nursing license in 2000. Then began working as a nurse I had done work in facilities on staff in addition to doing other agency work when I was not on staff just to keep working. Throughout pushing myself through hard times and through the trials and tribulations called life, I was living with a secret that was so embarrassing it made it hard to just get up in the morning and take care of myself, I was truly suffering inside. One day had changed the way I saw myself. One boy’s vicious actions permanently switched my mindset. Many times it made it hard to keep a job because of the depression I suffered, the Elisa hill and sons Christopher, 19 Christian, 17 and Jamar, 13 elisa Hill anxiety that plagued my made it difficult to even get out of my car to go into a job. This secret had been inside me since I was little and it is so hard to think or talk about it. It was just a day, just a normal day. I was out in the neighborhood, hanging out with two of my cousins. When one of my older cousin’s had seen a guy she knew, we decided to ride around with him for a while. Well we ended up at one of his friend’s houses somewhere I had been before or I just could not recognize it at that time. Now I know it was in Skyline Acres. We went into this house down into the basement where these two brothers were hanging out. We sat down them my older cousin got up to go outside with her friend and me and my other cousin stayed in the basement with the other two guys. I was young so I was trying to act mature, talking to one of the guys about music. He asked me if I wanted to go to his room with him and just listen to some music and talk. I said yes. Dumb me. I was not in the room with him a minute before he was barricading us in by blocking the entrance to the room with the door from the closet. In my mind I thought, ‘oh my God no.’ I got a sinking feeling in my stomach so I asked him again if we were just going to listen to some music and chill. He replied, “Yeah, it’s cool…were just going to talk.” He turned on a radio next to his bed, called me over to sit on the bed next to him. I went over to sit next to him then he immediately started trying to kiss my neck. I was trying to pull away I told him I wanted to go back down to the basement. He said he was not going to do anything else; he just wanted to kiss me. I was still pushing him off me, I could tell he was starting to tired of it, he seemed to get mad. I said I wanted to go back down to the basement. He told me that even if I screamed cousin and the rest would not hear me because they were in the basement and the music was loud. He stood up in front of me and started taking his clothes off. I was so scared, I started to cry and say no. He told me either I take my clothes off or he was going to do it for me. Damn, I was so scared I did not know if he would beat me or hurt me so I did what he had said. Then he pulled me over to the bed and lay on top of me. I was crying, panicking inside. I had never had never had sex. I was just a young girl. When he first tried, I pushed at him again. I felt numb with fear. My mind kind of lost its way for a moment I think because I felt like I was in a dream. I heard no music…I did not even feel him on top of me. In my head I was sitting in my mother’s arms with a smile on my face happier than I had ever been before. Then just as quickly, I was back in the room trying to push him away and then there was a knock at his door. Damn it was his father he was in the next room sleeping and heard what was going on. He yelled, ‘God damn girl out of my house now!” He jumped off me. I got up and put on my clothes. He opened the door, the father was standing where I could not see his face but again he instructed his son to get me out of there. I hurried down the steps to the basement where my other cousin was still sitting down and the other guy watching TV. I told her we needed to go. She asked me what happened but I could not even speak. Her friend was driving us away. I started crying hysterically, she was asking me what happened but I just kept crying then I told her I feel like I had peed on myself, that my clothes were soaked. We went into another house so I could use the bathroom; the guy there said we had to be quiet because his mom was home. When I got to the privacy of the bathroom I looked at myself, ‘Oh my God’ I thought. My panties, my pants were full of blood. I started to feel extreme pain. I screamed and cried and her friend told to get me that we had to leave before I woke up his mom. I could not stop crying. Shit, by then everybody was scared. I had to tell her that one of the guys tried to rape me. Everyone was scared; I even got blood on the car seat too. Well we were too afraid to go back to my grandmother’s house where we were staying the weekend. We did not want to get in trouble so we waited outside until one for our friends mothers went to work so we could lie and say that we had been there all night. My friend and my cousin’s ran bath water so I could wash myself and they put my clothes in the washer. I remembered it for a minute and suddenly, I was lost, back in that moment of being in the room with him. I could now feel the pain of him trying to get inside of me but he could not, I was a virgin and biologically it just did not work. All it did was hurt and make me bleed. I believe that if his father would not have said something he may have forcefully raped me. Thank God. Nevertheless, he did enough damage that I will never forget his face. I never pressed charges, I was simply too ashamed. Two years ago, I found out his name, Hank. The bastard. I saw him in a bar and he kept staring at me as if he wanted to talk to me. I figured he did remember me and was scared that I would say something. I felt like he was acting as if he was going to come over and talk to me. Again, I paralyzed by fear. I asked the guy I was seeing what his name was. I explained that he was the guy who tied to rape me when I was younger. I was amazed by his response. He just said that Hank never seemed like that type of guy to him. What type of guy is a rapist? How do we know? I guess unless you are the victim it is hard to say for sure. I know it was not my fault, but there is still a part of me that feels like I should have been smarter, stronger. Like I should not have gone to his room or I should have fought harder. I carried this pain with me every day. I could barley take care of myself; I felt I was not worth it. However, my children were a different story. I always managed to make sure my kids were clean, healthy and happy like kids should be. Even though that is all I would have the strength to do. I was raised a proud black woman. My family would not accept mental illness, they thought you just had to work harder and in time, the depression would fade. I believe they thought, ‘if you just stop making yourself depressed you could be alright. You have a weak mind and you need to be harder, do not let things or people hurt you feelings.’ Being the sensitive person I have always been that was impossible for me. I felt so much hurt, pain, rejection, fear, and disgust for myself that I had no clue what love was for me. I allowed people to hurt me, use me, abuse me, and talk about me like I was less than trash; after all that’s the way I also felt inside. I have had many years of calling the suicide hotline, because I was just so down that I could not see any way that I would survive the night sometimes. I felt I deserved to die. I diluted myself into thinking I could not sufficiently care for my kids. I had two baby fathers who were not helping the way I needed them to. I was just so lost. My children and I had been in three homeless shelters and one battered women’s shelter. I went to the battered women’s shelter because I was so lost that I figured marrying a man who would help me care for a home and my children so that we could live better would help me. That turned out to be one of my greatest nightmares. We were not even married a month before he began to verbally abuse me then he physically me. For me, it just took that one time and I did not go back to him. I left town and went to shelter in Louisville KY. While in the shelter and being in a new city, I felt still so lost and alone that I told my husband that I wanted to work things out maybe get some counseling to work through our problems so that we could keep our marriage together. That lasted a few weeks then I had to have him removed from my home by the police. Not only was he verbally abusing me he was jealous See By the Grace of God Pg. 12 �Street vibeS a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 Local ­ 9 �10 national news Street vibeS april 15, 2011 Q&A with New York Times columnist Gail Collins ­ OrIGINALLY PUBLIShED BY SPArE ChANGE ­ NEwS © www.STrEETNEwSSErVICE.OrG ­ a lot of them having to do with just how you balance work and family, which is a huge issue that I run into all the time wherever I go. And also, often at work things will be complicated; they might feel that the whole place is run by men and that the men don’t quite get them, but it’s not like the men are running around like they did back in the day saying, “Oh, we don’t hire women for this job,” or anything like that. It’s all kind of complicated, and to deal with stuff like that is much harder than to deal with the stuff that we dealt with, which was just so completely out in the open. But I know that young women today are incredibly strong. They don’t generally like the word feminist, but nobody’s ever liked the word feminist. It was popular for only about three seconds in the entire history of the world. So, I always say if they just had another name for it, like Fred or something, it would work out better. Sennott: What are some of the things that you think may have stalled the women’s movement, or may have had a negative impact on it? New York Times columnist Gail Collins: “I’d love to see conservative women who really thought things through in a serious way taking the lead.” Photo: courtesy of Spare Change News Adam Sennott: You’ve had an illustrious career; along with writing four books, you founded the Connecticut State News Bureau in 1972 and have written for the New York Daily News and Newsday - and you were even editor of the New York Times Editorial Section. When did you first discover your passion for writing, and did you ever imagine it would take you where it has? Gail Collins: No, I was in school in the 60’s and I remember very clearly having to talk to somebody one day about what we wanted to do with our lives and somebody said, ‘Oh maybe we can work for the New York Times.’ and we all said, ‘Oh no, mainstream media. Sell out, oh no. We would never do such a thing. ‘ That was a long time ago. So no, I never envisioned it working out like this, but it’s been a great ride. Sennott:When did you first discover your passion for writing? Gail Collins: I did that when I was really young. My mother had always wanted to be a writer and she had to drop out of college and get married and stuff. So it was kind of in the air from the time I was really young. Sennott: So you grew up around writing? Collins: Yeah. If you’re a kid you can just tell what really knocks your parents out. Whenever I did something that involved writing, it was really special for my mother. Sennott: In your book Scorpion Tongues you discussed a rumor that Hillary Clinton had thrown a lamp at her husband, President Bill Clinton, shortly after he was elected. You also wrote that “by passing along the rumor that Hillary had physically attacked Bill Clinton, people were expressing their secret fears that she (and maybe by implication all women) would try and push her husband aside and run things herself.” Though 18 years have passed, do you think America has gotten over its fear? Collins: Yeah, that was written a while ago. To some degree, sure. It was much heavier back then, and that was right when they were first coming into the White House and they were doing the whole thing about “you buy one, you get two,” and people were not used to that. It was a new thing. But I do really think that often, if you’ve got these sort of rumors at large that don’t seem to come from anywhere in particular, that it often has to do with some kind of trauma that people have, a worry that people have. Sennott: Two of your books, America’s Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines, and When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present covers nearly 450 years of women’s history in the United States. Where do you think feminism is now, and what direction is it headed? Gail Collins: Older women always say to me, “younger women don’t appreciate what we went through” and yada yada yada. It’s almost like, “we’ve walked many miles and we weren’t allowed to wear slacks, and we were in the snow, and it was so terrible, and we were suffering.” But I always think that we were very lucky, and that young women today face a much more complicated challenge then we did. I mean, it’s the most wonderful thing in the world to be out on a picket line, or protesting, and not only knowing what you’re doing is right but knowing everybody knows it’s right, including the people you’re protesting and that it’s going to be changed. You really did feel, back then, that the wind was at your back and that this was going to work out, mostly because of the success of the civil rights movement. But young women today, it’s all very complicated. They have all kinds of problems, Collins: Well, I don’t know that anything stalled it. I don’t really think it’s stalled. The biggest problem for women, and I think that it sort of leaps off into everything, is that work/ family thing - and that’s something that doesn’t have a simple solution. The most important thing, if you want a really serious career and a family, is to make sure you’ve got a partner who wants to take half the responsibility, or more. Other than that, it’s not clear how you deal with these things. It’s very complicated, particularly for single mothers. The source of most of the poverty in the United States is women who are trying to raise families all by themselves. Sennott: Do you think the public has a better understanding in this day and age of how difficult it is to be a single mother? Collins: Yeah, they do. The interesting problem is that the response is different from different places. At least when we did the end of welfare and entitlement there was a very clear (it seemed to me at the time) agreement that meant that there was going to be quality childcare available to everybody who needed it who was going to go out and work. That promise really hasn’t been kept. So that’s just a huge, huge problem for working women. Also, there are many people who think that the answer is that you should just tell people not to have sex unless they are married. That doesn’t work. Preventing teenage pregnancy is really important, but there’s a lot of states in which they’re teaching abstinence only sex education, which isn’t helping stuff any. So it’s a very complicated issue. Sennott: In When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present, you tell the stories of women such as Lois Rabinowitz, who in 1960 was thrown out of a New York court room for wearing slacks as she tried to pay her bosses speeding ticket. How did you go about finding these stories, and which one impacted you the most? Collins: Well, Lois was not hard. It was such a huge subject, and when I first started doing the book I was just sort of like, ‘Oh my God, where do I go? Where do I start? What do I do?’ So I just went through the Times in 1960 and looked for every reference to women, and there were surprisingly few actually, but one of them was Lois in her great day being tossed out of motor vehicle court. So her story popped right up the first week I was working on this sort of thing. One of the women that I just really loved was Lorena Weeks. She was this very simple woman in Georgia back in the 60s who had grown up very poor, had always worked, and who was married with children and worked for the phone company and just desperately, desperately wanted to send her kids to college - and was prepared to do anything for that. She wound up, because she applied for a promotion for a job that they said only men could do, she wound up at the end as being sort of the critical, Seminal court case that made it possible for women all over America for the next generation of two, to not be discriminated against in this way. What they used to do was always say, “Oh yeah, that’s open to anybody but you’ve got to be able to lift thirty pounds, otherwise you can’t do it.” And these poor women who had been lifting their babies and stuff forever were all sort of blocked off. Lorena had been lifting a thirty-five pound typewriter every day at her job; they said that didn’t count either. She was in semi-rural Georgia, and nobody thought the suit was a good idea. I think even her family was even embarrassed by the fact that she was out there doing this, and her coworkers hated it. She said one of the ministers in her town preached against it. And she just kept on going because she thought it was the right thing to do. I grew up in a time when we were so supportive of women and we do all these meetings and we say “You go girl” and do the whole thing. These women from the past, who just did it even though nobody thought it was a good idea and they got no support, they just went ahead and did it. They just knock me out, and they’re my favorites by far. Sennott: Were there any stories that you had to take out in the editorial process that you wish could have been told? Collins: I had researchers, and they were mostly college students who went out and interviewed many of the average women that I have in the book. I didn’t want to skew what they were doing so I generally just told them to go and find me a woman who worked in the 1960’s and had children at home or something like that. They would often find their relatives which turned out to be great because I think they were a little bit more open than they might have been if some stranger had come in and talked to them. And that was the hardest part of the book: you can’t put them all in. There were just a trillion of them, and weeding them down was the hardest thing to do. There were amazing, wonderful women who never got in the book at all just because I didn’t have room for all of the stories. Sennott: During your recent speech at Bunker Hill Community College, someone suggested that both America’s Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines, When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present could be used as textbooks in colleges. How do you think women are currently portrayed in history books? Collins: Well, actually, my book is used some places. I am thrilled to have people get up and suggest it should be used in more, but it does get around. Right now, it’s a good time for that kind of stuff. Everybody sort of goes out of their way to try and make this telling of America’s story more expansive than it used to be and include more kinds of people, so that’s all great. Sennott: You were the first women to ever be named editor of the New York Times Editorial Section. What was it like to have earned that position and to set a milestone similar many of the other great women you have written about? Collins: The nice thing was that you could just tell when they named me that everybody was happy. They weren’t particularly happy about me as a particular person, but everybody in the building was just really happy that that was going to happen - that there was going to be a woman doing that. You could just kind of feel that. That’s kind of the way the Times is and that’s why I love working here so much. It was really a great adventure. I had never really thought about being an editor on that level, but it was a great time. I was really thrilled to do it. Sennott: Did you expect it at all? Collins: Oh God, no. Sennott: You’ve written columns about both Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton. Though they are both on opposite ends of the political spectrum, what do you think their success says about how far women have come politically? Do you think you will see a female president in your lifetime? Collins: Yeah, and whenever I say that people say, “Well if it’s not going to be Hillary who else could it be?” Which is not really fair. I mean, name me what guy out there who you think is going to be President in the future. We don’t tend to have long running successions that’s going on here. So yeah, I think probably there will be one in my lifetime. As for Sarah Palin, I wrote once during the campaign that she really is a product of the women’s movement. She’s a person who, whatever else you think of her, is not constrained by her gender. I really doubt that there was ever a moment in her life where she thought, “Well I can’t do that because I am a girl.” That’s just not the way she is. So in that sense she really is a product of the women’s movement herself. I wrote that once and Gloria Steinem called me and said, “Okay, I am shooting myself now.” But I still think it’s true. Sennott: Both Palin and Clinton have been able to climb the ladder in their respective parties. What do you think it says about how far each political party has come that they are willing to accept women in leadership positions? Collins: It’s an interesting thing. I think you have to take very seriously the fact that the Republican Party has managed to produce all of these very high-profile female leaders. I find it worrisome that they all seem to be A-hot. It’s very weird that you seem to have all of these very good looking women, I am kind of wondering what the role is for a normal looking women in the Republican Party right now. We’re not seeing quite as many of them. And as far as Sarah Palin is concerned, it’s very troubling for me as a woman who roots for women of both parties that she’s not better prepared. I’d love to see conservative women who really thought things through in a serious way taking the lead. Sennott: In April 12, 2009 the New York Times published an article about street newspapers across the country. As someone who understands the power of written word, how important do you think it is for the homeless and economically disadvantaged to be able to get their opinions and voices out there? Collins: It’s important for everybody to get their voices out there, particularly people who don’t have many kinds of outlets because they are homeless or disadvantaged.  �Street vibeS international news 11 a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 Prostitution: Crime or controversial career? ­ Last September, Ontarian prostitutes Terri-Jean Bedford, Valerie Scott and Amy Lebovich cried out in victory. The judge at the Supreme Court in Ontario declared the criminal code articles that condemn prostitution as unconstitutional. Far from rallying everyone together, Himel’s trial urges Canadians to voice their opinion in the debate on the decriminalization of the oldest job in the world. L’ITINérAIrE (CANADA) 29/03/2010 Translated into English by Bouchra Mojtahid, editing by Amanda fortier. Originally published by L’Itineraire © streetnewsservice.org For a majority of organizations that work with sex workers, this trial is considered a blessing - real progress for the safety of prostitutes. Judge Susan Himel denounced the articles that prohibit the solicitation of prostitution. Making a living from prostitution is under the jurisdiction of brothels. The trial is currently awaiting a final decision by the conservative government. If the law is passed, it will apply to all of Canada.  According to its supporters, this judgment will allow prostitutes to organize themselves against the aggressions they face. While some have supported the decision of the Supreme Court, the “Concertation des Lutes Contre l’Exploitation Sexuelle” (CLES) has voiced its opposition: “we are in favor of the decriminalization of prostitute women, but we don’t think that it’s in their interest to decriminalize pimps” said Diane Matte, a spokeswoman for the organization. Some groups say they must encourage women to speak out and admit that many get involved in prostitutions by choice. However, opponents of decriminalization remain steadfast. According to Diane Matte, the inequality between sexes forces women into prostitution. “In fact, we can talk about choice; it’s like when talking about those women who, despite being beaten by their husbands, want to stay with them anyway. What is important is that regardless of personal choice, society says that men do not have the right to beat women”. However, according to Emilie Laliberté, general coordinator of Stella, prostitutes support the organization. “It’s like assuming that making a living from prostitution means forcing yourself to do so. It’s not true,” argues Mrs Laliberté. It’s difficult to know the numbers of prostitutes working in Quebec, as an indiscriminate number are in Canada without their legal paperwork in order. This makes it difficult to identify those who are suffering from different addictions, or from psychological distress. “The only numbers we have are those we were given by the police when girls were arrested,” says Maria Nengeh, a professor of social work At the University of Quebec a Montreal (UQAM). The data show only a minute image of those who have had problems, and this is not significant”. The two opposing views rely on facts and figures that support their cause and rely on particular experiences that draw out specific conclusions. Within the framework of her research, Maria Nengeh Mensah frequently met with prostitutes. For her, the majority has made conscious decisions. “For instance, they explained that they are better able to manage their time than I am as a professor at University and who is often up late correcting papers,” she said with a laugh. For the professor who is doing her research on prostitution, once decriminalized, it’s these girls who will be able to help other prostitutes who are caught up in vicious circles of addictions. According to Robert Rousseau, director of Rézo, the only organization that supports male city prostitutes, “it’s criminalization and oppression that may lead to drug addiction.” Prostitutes are forced to stay in illegal networks. At one point, we wonder what causes what…” he wonders. He sees in decriminalization an opportunity for the organizations and health sectors to work hand in hand to install a viable and healthy culture in the prostitution field. However, organizations speak with one voice and claim that the current legislation regarding prostitution causes more harm than good. The CLES suggests instead a Swedish example (read “Elsewhere in the world…”), which criminalized customers and pimps and aims to change mentalities with the ultimate goal of stopping prostitution. “Changes made to the criminal code must be accompanied by an awareness regarding the inequalities between men and women and the result that this may bear in the sex industry”, insists Diane Matte, who wants a thorough investigation and who criticizes those who affirm that the oldest job in the world is here to stay. As for the organization Stella, ignoring reports that criminalize prostitution is fine. However, prostitution should not be bound to any particular regulations. This is how the legalization of prostitution in Switzerland works. “The government creates a permit system, but people who do not comply with this find themselves in the black market”, warns Emilie Laliberté. But, Maria Nengeh rather believes in the necessity of adding some rules in the labor code concerning the sex industry. Some restrictions that include, for instance, safety standards or the right to unionize. According to Lucie Lemonde, professor at the department of juridical sciences at UQAM, it’s impossible to decriminalize without supervising. “There is no job in the world which has no regulations! Supervision must be installed, if we want to acknowledge that it’s indeed a job like any other one,” she affirms and further states if it does happen and the Supreme Court rules in favor, each province will create its own legal measures. Sex workers and their supporters protest in front of City hall in celebration of International Sex workers’ rights Day in San francisco, California March 3, 2008 Photo: rEUTErS/kimberly white For those who support decriminalization, it’s still far from reach. “I have always thought that decriminalization issue is a dream, especially now with our conservative government”, says Maria Nengeh Mensah. Lucie Lemonde also sees that the government has a tendency to make legislations on moral issues. “The Harper government uses the criminal law to promote moral purposes, she said. This is juridical populism.” Elsewhere in the world • Switzerland legalized prostitution in 1992, and though prostitutes must hold permits and pay taxes, there is still a black market and there are sex workers coming from abroad to work in the Swiss brothels. - Sweden prosecutes hundred of clients per year; pimps can also be tried. The country has succeeded to reduce the number of prostitutes without criminalizing them. It has therefore been blamed for transferring the problem to its neighbors who have, on average, three times as many sex workers as Sweden. The Swedish example does not acknowledge the fact that a man or woman has the choice to make a living out of prostitution. • New Zealand decriminalized prostitution in 1991. It is the only country to have done so. Authorities have not seen any increase of the number of prostitutes. �interest 12 Street vibeS april 15, 2011 Meet Up ­ A look at the life of a proud Streetvibes Distributor JIM LUkEN Contributing Writer M eet Ronnie Phillips. Age 37. And proud to be a Streetvibes distributor. Ronnie is also very proud and happy to be living in his own apartment in Westwood, since February. Before that, he lived for a year and a half at the Drop Inn Center, as part of its “Step Up” dorm program, working with staff and social workers to prepare him for being on the “outside” once again. In spite of the difficult turn his life had taken, Ronnie Phillips looked at it positively, “When I realized I was going to homeless,” he says, “I knew it was gonna be good.” He seems very clear on this. “You gotta be strong to work in the Drop Inn Center. I used my experience as a homeless man to make me stronger.” He loves his new apartment, and the independence it provides. “My first memory of being in my own apartment was of not being able to sleep. It was so quiet, compared to the Drop. Now I have my own radio and can listen to my own music.” When he wants to watch TV, he goes to visit his mother. For a time the apartment will be provided for him as a transitional home. For now, he gets by on food stamps and on the money he makes selling everyone’s favorite Cincinnati newspaper. “Last week,” Ronnie says, almost excitedly, “I made thirty dollars.” Phillips grew up in Millville, the only child of single mother. He describes himself as bi-racial. He can see that growing up without brothers and sisters may not have been always been the best thing for him. “I was a spoiled brat,” he says, “but I got over that as soon as I got not respecting me.” The responsible job brought Phillips various benefits. He was able to live in his own apartment, pay his bills, and even keep a bank account. But in 2006, Ronnie got fired for, as he describes, “Something Ronnie didn’t do.” One day, some money was missing from the shift receipts. It took three weeks for the boss to determine who was responsible. But Phillips had already been let go. “Phillips remembers his work history as well as his various living situations with incredible accuracy, recalling to the month, and sometimes to the day, when he moved from one apartment to another, or lost a job only to find another.” my first job. “ That job came while he was a student at Western Hills High School. He worked as a janitor’s assistant, then, in his senior year found work doing maintenance with Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing. He graduated from West High in 1993, with a B average, on the honor role. He also received an American Citizenship Award. Ronnie had a number of entry level jobs until, he says, he began working for Taco Bell. His goal was to become a shift manager. His friends were dubious. At times Ronnie talks of himself in the third person. “There were some doubters. They thought Ronnie be too nice a guy. But he became a certified shift manager.” Then he adds. “I proved them wrong. Sometimes I had to send people home for Instead of looking immediately for work, Ronnie lived for a year on his savings. “I was lucky,” he says. I had one thousand, two hundred, and forty-six dollars in my bank account.” But that was a good thing and a bad thing. “I got lazy,” he says, “I didn’t look for as many jobs as I should have.” Phillips remembers his work history as well as his various living situations with incredible accuracy, recalling to the month, and sometimes to the day, when he moved from one apartment to another, or lost a job only to find another. He especially remembers the three times he lived in the Evanston Neighborhood. In Phillips’s estimation, Evanston seems to come as close to hell as he ever wants to be. “Ronnie was an individual who was known to work hard. He makes some mistakes. He would not be able to make it in Evanston.” The final time he “stayed” in Evanston almost did him in. One day in 2008, he got into an argument with his landlord. “I had a bad day,” he says. “I guess I took it out on her.” She called the police, who wound up tazing him the back. He went to the hospital, but no charges were filed. “The cops said it was best I get out of Evanston.” That’s when he knew he needed help and placed himself in the competent hands at the Drop Inn Center. Life on the streets is tough. He recalls all the fights that happened around him while he stayed at the Drop and at other times in his life. Fir the most part, he stayed away from them. “I always remember, a real man will walk away from a fight. If you don’t, you suffer the consequences.” Phillips immediate plan is to find part time evening work, while he continues to distribute Streetvibes. At some point, he hopes to find a full-time job and put himself back into the workplace. After that? “Eventually I’d like to settle down with the right girl. If she was the marrying type, I’d settle down with her.” In the meantime, he says, “I’m just thankful I got my own apartment. And I appreciate doing Streetvibes.” And there’s one more thing, Ronnie Phillips says, shaking his head, “I got something I call peace.” By the Grace of God ­ Continued from Pg. 8 and did not trust me at all. Even though I never gave him reason not to trust me. After we separated, I came back to Cincinnati, in less than a year and tried to work and care for my children. By 2002, I was in the second shelter because my employer just up closed down and our work checks bounced. Then when I went to pick up my first check of the New Year in “03”, the job had closed its doors and none of the employees were paid for the work we did over Christmas and new years. We had nothing. I could not believe this I had enough troubles on my own trying to make it month to month. The way this economy had been, forced my employer to shut their doors and not pay its employees. I had no money, no way to even buy food. I was beside myself in agony and fear. I was so angry that I put all my effort into a job and they treated me this way. I called Channel Nine Newscaster Brian Patrick and told him what happened with my job. He immediately came to talk to me and helped me with my situation. He got my story out and volunteers called into the news station saying they wanted to help my children and me. I am so grateful to Brian Patrick for that help. He also prayed with me in my house for my children and me to make it through that tough time. I remember saying to him that I needed to get out of Cincinnati. I had no help from family or my children’s fathers. I still had not gotten the help I needed for my severe depression and anxiety. Needless to say I had put my children through a lot in there short lives. Despite the help we received, it just was not enough, back to the homeless shelter I went for the third time. This time in Lexington, because again at that time that was the only way I could keep my kids and me together. There was not a shelter in Cincinnati at that time that would take my older sons, just my baby and me. I had tried to stay with family but it never seemed to work out long enough for me to get on my feet and get going again. My only option was the homeless shelter. I stayed in the shelter in Lexington two times. Then back to Cincinnati, again. I had to come back because while in the shelter I had problems with my blood pressure and I was so tired and sick that I could not see myself even surviving much longer. I was scared that after all those times of feeling I should die and wanting to die. Shit now I though it’s not my choice now I just may die. I was actually calling both of my children’s fathers to see who would keep all my children together if I would pass away. It was crazy…I was preparing to die. Well God sure did show me that I had no clue what he actually had in store for my life. Now I was about to see. I came back to Cincinnati in 2005, I worked until March then I had lost my job and my depression was at and all time high. I needed help. After talking to a suicide hotline worker one night, she told me that I needed to get some help for myself. Finally, I saw no way out and agreed. She referred me to Mental Health Access Point in Cincinnati where they evaluated me and set me up with a case manager and Psychiatrist. This was what I needed to start to understand what happened to me. It was what opened my eyes to see that it was not my fault and I am worthy of life and all its blessings. Since my therapy, counseling, and case management I have been maintaining a better life for my children and me. It has been tough not being able to work but I understand that if I don’t take care of my myself I may not always be there for my children. Now we are stable and I have been writing poetry for a few years. It has been my saving grace, helping me get through these tough years. I thank God that when I first wanted to take my life as a young girl at 14 that He sent me an angel to save my life. While standing in the bathroom I was about to cut my wrist I heard a voice say. “Elisa your story has not yet been written.” I swear this voice showed me my own funeral and said, “They will only cry for you for only one day. Then you will never be spoken of again. If you would just choose to live, God will bless you. You just need to believe in Him.” Therefore, I did choose to live and believe that God had a greater purpose for me. However, I still struggled with my depression and not truly feeling worthy of life. Somehow, I am still here by the grace of God. I have been sexually assaulted, abused, had nine bladder surgeries, a reconstructive surgery to put my bladder back in the correct place, a lump removed from my breast (non cancerous, thank God), I have high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and recently lost my sight in my right eye due to a blood clot. I tell you these things not for pity; I share this because I still refuse to give up. I believe that God has a special plan for my life and my story will be a great one. I had an ex once tell me that my many health problems and emotional troubles were too much for him to deal with. Well I say to him, “That’s bullshit!” We as woman are supposed to stand by our men through whatever the struggles and men are only supposed to stand with a woman if it is what he can bare. Ladies we are not valued as the precious people that we are. I may not have found one man who could stand with me, but God sent me three young men who loved me through the struggles, hurt, pain, being poor and never once did they decide it was too much. They could have done what so many other young black men do… they could have just walked away and sought out what they could on the streets. God gave me these children to show me there is a man who will love me, care for me and be with me through whatever and He is my Father God! Now five poetry books later, two certifications for my first two books as an Author of poetry in the Library of Congress, and a stable home my children I am doing well. So are my kids, they are good students and good people. Yes! I could complain that life has dealt me a very rough hand to play. However, I know now that it was to build me up to be what God had planned for me all along. His precious glory right here on earth. So what would I say to the next young girl who maybe going through some of the same challenges in life today? “Never give up!” You are worthy to live through your struggle and be the blessing God has made you to be. I know it may seem that no one else could ever understand your pain, but I do. Just know that like me, God loves you too. I had to take life minute by minute, which turned in to day after day then year after year and I am still here today. Do for your life what you need to, to survive. Do not try to live your life through another person’s eyes. My name is Elisa and I truly love me. I hope you find it your on heart to love yourself too. �Street vibeS Story & Poetry Corner ­ a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 Believe It Intoxication Willa DeniSe JoneS Contributing writer and Streetvibes Distributor Willa DeniSe JoneS Contributing writer and Streetvibes Distributor Believe it when you see someone bundle up sleeping in the street Believe it when you see someone looking in the garbage for food to eat Believe it because all of these things are real and none are made up Believe that there are many men, women and children who are down on their luck Believe that with the economy all twisted and headed straight to hell Believe that there are many who just give up, commit suicide or take leave for a jail cell Believe that to the homeless, jail with three hot meals, cell buddies for friends and a cot Believe to some may mean nothing but to the homeless means one hell of a lot Believe with faith all things are possible for all including you and me Believe in God, have faith, and pray then change will come all you have to do is believe I’m Just a Man! eliSa Hill Contributing Writer Can you hear me moaning with a drunk and cowardly call? Can you see me hunched down vomiting, my demeanor so small? Do you know me by the tears and redness in my eyes? The alcohol controls me, can’t you see the fear and sadness in my eyes. I’m deeply in debt with misery and pain. I am severely unkept with chaos in my brain. I try to sustain myself with a drink in the day. I try to sustain myself with a drink in the noon. I try to sustain myself with a drink in the night. Unsobering for myself, I know that I have no life. Pretty as a picture, some days you could capture my smile. I portray silly like a child, in my drunken stupor, for I live in denial. Thought it may be blurred, I can see that I have no real future. My true and sobering fact is that my life is in ruins. I fill a lonely tomb with mountains of my destructive past and a broken soul brewing. Yes! I keep these memories hostage as a captor of my own damn fear. I do the alcohols bidding without a care in the world. See, I am the one sitting with hell on one hand and mental instability on the other. I am your neighbor, brother, father and on a good day your friend. I am the coward living endlessly, while the real man wants to live. Yes! Yes! I have prostituted your love and care for my life. Hell, if you’re not paying then get out of my site. To many times I have given into compassion and loves will. To be the one left homeless and ash end by hatred and abuses fill. It has left me burnt in my soul and taunted in my ear. My only peace is drowned now in good Ole’ beer. Here now is where I float above the torture and sail above the rains. You may call me a drunken bum. Well I call myself a man. You should not judge me with and outside view. Inside I am tortured and living in a tomb, filled with abuse, hatred, chaos and fear. Of loneliness, hurt and needing my Father’s love, oh how I have cried so many tears. So, though you view me by the horror in my eyes. You still need to have love for me with the faith of the most high. No matter what I am still, just a man, don’t you see the tears in my eyes. Intoxication is being drunk if only for a little while Intoxication can become a bad habit with a crooked smile Being high and drunk all alone really makes no sense Being homeless, a panhandler and a drunk can be a bad defense The fear of not knowing what your next move can possibly be Can be intoxicating without a drink, please believe me The fear of failure constantly day in and day out Can be a eye opener to a drunk to make a change, no doubt Once you realize that there is another way to live everyday To work, maintain your money and eventually find a place to stay Things start to fall in order for you surely but slowly As you start to make a change in your life ever so boldly Intoxicating thoughts will no longer be able to hold you back Understanding that with the help of God you can get your life on track So don’t stay intoxicated by the fears of the world today Go to church, read the bible and get on your knees and pray! Now I Give to Thee! eliSa Hill Contributing Writer Damn, I have a space in my throat that just won’t let me scream. I try to weep to keep myself from going fucking insane. Most times I don’t even know what is going on in everybody else’s life. Yet and still, I am always treated as the outcast, now pass the pipe. I’ve tried to give of myself in and unselfish way. Only to be torn down and treated like less than a damn slave. It makes you lose your self esteem. That anything that you could be in this life, is nothing in there site. I have tried hoping that there is one damn person who feels me worthy to be alive. Only to look the fuck around and see that there is no one sitting by my side. Cry tears, for what? They only make it worse, now I feel that I am forever cursed. I feel like I have no love, no life, no hope and no real plight. God please save me! What am I doing here just filling in for empty space. Even he regrets my presence because; I just seem to get in his way. How can this be when I am especially made? I am a blessing that you my God gave to this life! I am a bright star burning throughout the verses. I flow demolishing misconceptions and misunderstood purposes. Lord, I do have a great will to live and I know what it takes to survive. I won’t let them to continue to do this to me. I will believe in myself and know that soon, you my father, will provide. Then like a surprise snow ball to the side of my face. I hear my God say, “now I give to thee!” You and I Willa DeniSe JoneS Contributing writer and Streetvibes Distributor You and I must make a pact To be mindful of how we act Toward each other no matter what And not hold hatred down in our gut We must understand that everyone is unique And know that a change is what everyone seeks With time and patience, with help from up above We can conquer the hatred we feel and replace it with God’s love For only with God’s guidance and his so many blessings Will we understand living life together without ever guessing? We’ll finally know what it is to live on this planet together To love each other for who we are and not what we are for now and forever!!! 13 �14 the Signing of Senate bill 5 What it really means for You COrEY GIBSON Contributing Writer Signed Into Law While signing the bill into law at the statehouse early this month Gov. John Kasich said “This bill ... does not cut anybody’s salary ... does not take away anybody’s pension ... does not destroy anybody’s health care. And anybody who’s been out there saying that is just factually wrong.” Yet it seems most people disagree with Kasich. Many people know the bill has been signed into law, a law that takes place immediately, yet hardly have any clear indication of what it means for this particular bill to be signed into law. As people already know, Senate Bill 5 has a major impact on unions, specifically taking away their rights to collective bargaining, their right to strike and many other bargaining rights unions had in the past. However, many people do not know about the Street vibeS april 15, 2011 many other implications the bill will have. Although the bill will eliminate the ability of unions to negotiate wages, it will still allow them the right to negotiate health care, sick time and pension benefits. The bill will also eliminate automatic pay increases. Teachers For teachers Senate Bill 5 may take away tenure for many teachers. Instead of taking into account the length of teacher’s service at a school, administrators could point out one flaw in the teachers past and have them fired on the spot. The bill will also affect the way teachers receive a raise. Instead of the old way of giving a teacher a raise based on the degree he or she has, Senate Bill 5 will force teachers to gain raises based on merit and performance, although Senate Bill 5 gives no methodology of how to determine either. In other words, one teacher may get a significant raise because he or she received a reward, while another teacher, in another district, who won the same reward, could receive no raise at all. Possibly the worst repercussion for the teachers is the dismantling of the cap size on classrooms. Senate Bill 5 will do away with the classroom cap of 25 students to every one teacher. Firefighters and Police Officers As for firefighters and police officers, Senate Bill 5 may take away much of the budget they have for training, buying new equipment and other necessities that are paid for partially through unions. Senate Bill 5 will mean fewer police officers, at less pay, with fewer benefits, according to the Marietta Times. Police and firefighters will not be able to bargain with cities over the number of people required to be on duty at one time. Senate Bill 5 will eliminate their ability to negotiate the number of police or firefighters allowed in police cars and fire trucks. Steve Loomis, president of Cleveland’s local police union, told CBS News “one of the biggest worries is one-man patrol cars.” As of now, Cleveland police are required to have more than one officer in the car in certain neighborhoods. However, state lawmakers did make a last-minute change in the bill that allowed police and fire fighters to bargain for vests, shields and other safety gear, according to CBS News. It could be Council’s Decision Senate Bill 5 will also, essentially give city councils in Ohio more power over police and firefighters. The bill will allow city council to make the final decisions on any bargaining that is still allowed by the bill. As of now, if there is a stalemate between police and firefighters and a city, an arbitrator and a fact finder would be hired to investigate the most reasonable way for the issue to be dealt with. If Senate Bill 5 is not repealed, the issue is handed over to city council to decide. Opponents of Senate Bill 5 are trying to get the bill repealed and put on the November ballot for voting. They need to collect over 230,000 signatures in over half the counties in Ohio to have the bill put on the ballot. For a full review of the bill, please go to http://www. legislature.state.oh.us/BillText129/129_SB_5_EN_N Street papers battle against illegal sales Over the bitter cold Christmas and New Year period, all official Hus Forbi vendors have also been equipped with brand new and easily recognizable vendor uniforms with Hus Forbi’s logo in yellow on the jackets as well as trousers. Street papers are a winning formula and many want a share of it. Problems with fake vendor IDs and even organized crime have been reported, but street papers are fighting back. A new, hard line approach is proving successful in Denmark. In conjunction with the vendor ID card system and the introduction of the new uniforms, Hus Forbi has tightened the rules for homeless shelters who distributing the paper across the country. Mass sales are no longer allowed, and a maximum of 50 papers per vendor per day has been imposed. Staff at the shelters have been instructed to carefully check vendor badges and only distribute copies to vendors with an official badge. “We will be very strict on imposing the rules”, says Skou. “If distributors do not follow them at all times, we will stop working with them immediately and shut down the distribution point.” Vendors of the street paper have applauded the hard line approach. Martin Mogensen, vendor representative at Hus Forbi, says: “If we do not clamp down on organized illegal sales now, I fear that it will spiral out of control. I fully welcome the measures taken, like the new IDs, new uniforms and the tougher rules for distributors. It is crucial to eliminate illegal sales for the benefit of the legal vendors, both Danish and foreigners.” hUS fOrBI (DENMArk) ­ Translated into English by Jesper Bach ­ Originally published by hus forbi © www. ­ streetnewsservice.org ­ At the start of this year, Danish street paper Hus Forbi introduced new, more foolproof vendor identification badges. At the same time, the organization has tightened its existing rules for selling and distributing the street paper. It is an effort to crack down on the illegal sales of the street paper. Ole Skou, board chairman of Hus Forbi, says: “We have encountered problems with illegal vendors, who amongst other things use fake vendor ID badges to sell Hus Forbi. We discovered that these vendors get hold of the paper through vendors with legal IDs, who -contrary to the rules- buy the paper for redistribution. Other vendors managed to get magazines from a distribution point without a valid ID.” Organized crime Unfortunately, the Danish street paper has also Strict rules Vendors of Danish street paper Hus Forbi showing off their new uniforms. Source: forbi/Simon Ankjaergaard discovered a more organized form of illegal sales. Skou explains: “We have discovered a network of ‘middle men’, who -on a regular basis- bring people from poorer European countries to Denmark. Upon arrival, they provide them with ready-made fake street paper vendor ID cards. They even give them a list of good areas and pitches to sell the magazine.” Skou is appalled by the way in which the ‘middle men’ take advantage of the vulnerable position of the people involved. “As EU citizens, the targeted individuals can stay in Denmark for three months, after which the middle men organize them transport home. These people arrive home just as poor as they left. They become the victims of organized crime, which we neither can nor will support.” As a result, the board of Hus Forbi has decided to change all vendor IDs to new ones, which are harder to copy. Skou emphasizes that there are also many foreign vendors who legally sell the street paper. “All foreign vendors in the possession of a legal vendor ID card also have had their ID exchanged and can of course perfectly legally continue to sell Hus Forbi”, he states. Vendors of Danish street paper hus forbi showing off their new uniforms. Source: forbi/Simon Ankjaergaard �15 Street vibeS a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 Summer Internship Program The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) is currently accepting applications for 5 part-time unpaid summer interns. Each intern will create an individual work plan and be assigned a specific project or provide general support for a particular program during the specified time period. ABOUT: GCCH located in Over-the-Rhine is a non-profit social action agency established in 1984 with the solitary mission of eradicating homelessness. GCCH works towards this mission by coordinating services, educating the public, grassroots organizing and advocacy and publishing and distributing the Streetvibes newspaper. Homeless and formerly homeless individuals are incorporated into all programs and initiatives at GCCH. PrOGrAM DATES: Summer internships range from a 2-3 month commitment which is negotiated on an individual level and flexible between May and September (dependent on university summer term). TIME COMMITMENT: Flexible hours, approx. 15-20 hours per week; must be able to attend weekly staff meetings. Summer interns typically attend school and/or work part-time jobs as long as they do not interfere with the internship commitment. INTErNShIPS AVAILABLE: Development Intern- reports directly to the Director of Development and Operations Education & Outreach Intern- reports directly to the Director of Education & Outreach Statistics Intern- reports directly to the Director of Education & Outreach Information Technology Intern- reports directly to the Executive Director Journalism, Media & Public Relations Intern- reports directly to the Editor of Streetvibes GENErAL QUALIfICATIONS: Hard working and have the ability to work independently with limited supervision. Creative and willing to bring fresh ideas to the table and a positive attitude. Have a minimum of one year of undergraduate work completed Must be able to use a computer Good written and oral communication skills and diligence about checking work for spelling and grammar mistakes Familiarity with Microsoft Office including Excel and Word Interest in learning about local area nonprofit agencies A commitment to serving those in poverty Comfortable working with and speaking to homeless individuals Good interpersonal skills and an ability to communicate with a wide range of individuals Dependable TO APPLY: If interested please send a cover letter and resume with desired internship title (e.g. Development Intern) in the subject line to hYPErLINk “mailto:gcch. intern@gmail.com” gcch.intern@gmail.com by noon on April 22nd. Interviews will be held in early May. Direct any questions to the email listed above. INTErNShIP DESCrIPTIONS: Development Intern: Intern currently studying or interested in: Non-profit business development, administration, fundraising, marketing, individual giving, grant writing and pursuing donors. Intern will assist and report to the Director of Development and Operations. Key tasks: Maintain and improve development plan Coordinate and acquire In-kind donations Research and apply for grants Lead an individual giving campaign Work on Summer fundraiser as well as prepare for Winter Annual Dinner Communicate with donors via phone and letters Attend development committee meetings Streamline fundraising database Other tasks TBD. Education & Outreach Intern: Intern currently studying or interested in: education (teaching and curriculum development), sociology, social justice, social work, program coordination & development, service learning and working with youth. Intern will assist and report to the Director of Education and Outreach. Key tasks: Main project: develop a plan for the implementation of the 2011 City-Wide Shantytown program during Homeless Awareness Month. Assist with improvements to the educational and service outreach plan Research and update list of schools and social service agencies throughout the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area Assist with the facilitation of educational and service learning activities as needed Assist as a receptionist as needed Other tasks TBD. Statistics Intern: Intern currently studying or interested in: research, statistical analysis, math, social science research, computer science, engineering or related field. Intern will assist and report to the Director of Education and Outreach. Key tasks: Main project: Work independently to assess GCCH’s programs; compile, review and analyze data; develop a plan for tracking data and analyzing outcomes; track and analyze outcomes for a specified time period and create a final report. Gather, collect, record, track and verify data and information. Uses software to compile and generate reports, statistics, timelines, tables, graphs, correspondence and presentations. Assist with the development of a database for tracking and analyzing program data. Assist with compiling updated statistical data related to homelessness and poverty with a focus on Ohio and links to national statistics. Other tasks TBD. Information Technology Intern: Intern currently studying or interested in: information technology, networking, managing software and hardware, computer science or related field. Intern will assist and report to the Executive Director. Key tasks: Main project: Work independently to assess GCCH’s stock of computers, swipe old computers of data and recycle; assess and update computer software on computers in use; determine networking capabilities and develop and implement a plan to put all computer data on a server. Other duties related to computer management including: assessing security risks and updating anti-virus software. Assist with the development of a database for tracking and analyzing program data. Assist with the launch of GCCH’s new website. Other tasks TBD. Journalism, Media & Public Relations Intern: Intern currently studying or interested in: Journalism, public relations, social networking, advertising, marketing or related field. Intern will assist and report to the Editor of Streetvibes. Key tasks: Main project: Work independently to upload articles and pictures from old Streetvibes editions to the Streetvibes online blog as well as GCCH’s website. Develop a viable newspaper recycling plan. Build up readership and support of Streetvibes and GCCH’s via social networking sites. Assist with reporting, photojournalism, production, copy editing and advertising as needed. Other tasks TBD. �16 Street vibeS april 15, 2011 women helping women ­ Barbara Houghton’s photographs are about her as a woman and about women in general. “ I am a person alive who looks at and questions our humanity,” says Barbara Houghton. “I do not see the people in my photographs as other but as people who could be me. In the beginning all my work was about me, who I was and my place in the world. Later, it naturally expanded into addressing womanhood and women’s role in society.” By Saad GhoSn ContriButinG Writer Houghton, an artist photographer and art professor at Northern Kentucky University (NKU), grew up in Chicago, the 2nd child in a family of 12, many with strong artistic talents. Always creative herself, drawing and painting as a kid, and enrolled in all art classes in her high school, she was destined to become a commercial artist. In undergrad at the University of Illinois, she When she 1st got to NKU she did a series of photographs on the unknown, Terra Incognita, examining boundaries and where she fit in the world, using images of navigation instruments as metaphors. It was followed by Journey, a combination of photographs and objects about one’s personal experiences, revelations, interactions, relationships in life. Dancing with Galileo, a multimedia installation including modified photographs, objects, text, music, dance, video, was about her affinity and love for a brilliant scientist, a man who like her was free-spirited, unconventional, and willing to fight for the truth. Galileo, raised Catholic, did not hesitate to battle the ignorance and hypocrisy of the church, supporting on the other hand its principled spiritual teachings. To document and create her works, Houghton traveled throughout Italy, visiting places where Galileo lived, his house, the institutions where he made his discoveries and taught, the convent where resided his beloved daughter. She took many photographs that she later manipulated; adding to them researched elements from books, text and images, composing the all like a montage. When confronted with political upheaval and violence, Houghton witnessed and reflected through her photographs. In her Popular Culture series she used images about the war in Iraq and the Abu Ghraib case, popular images she noticed or reacted to wandering the streets, thus using her camera to speak not only for herself, but also for the common individual, stating what she felt both would condone or condemn. In Learning the Sport/ Unsportsmanlike Conduct, she commented Barbara houghton in her studio holding one of her photographs of an Indian woman. bill Howes networks to connect local and global markets, social security networks for maternity needs, health care and life insurance. Houghton wanted to travel to India to experience first hand their work, meet the women members and document in her photographs their various supportive activities. After seeing the movie Water by director Deepa Mehta, she had also learned about the abused situation of widows in India, often chased from their husband’s house after his death, forced into poverty and left begging on the streets. Researching the matter, she came across the work of Dr V. Mohini Giri, a social activist and leader in the Indian women’s movement; her organization Guild of Service which helps the displaced widows; and the new shelter Ma Dham she had built in Vrindavan to lodge, feed, train the destitute widows, and help them lead a healthy dignified life. Houghton contacted Dr Giri and headed to India, traveling many places, photographing women: mothers, wives, workers, widows… depicting their condition, yet their beauty, their potential power. Her photographs gave birth to her series Changing India, One Woman at a Time, which she exhibited in 2010 at NKU. Widows of Ma Dham, a photo from the series, represents widows rejoicing, singing and swaying at the news that they will be finally receiving their government’s pension, now that they had a home and not considered homeless anymore. “I wanted to photograph women helping women, and empower them in the process,” says Houghton. “India was a good place as women there are often ignored. But this was also true of America where women are frequently valued mostly based on their looks. As a middle age woman, I recognize myself the feeling; when I leave my hair grey, I become almost invisible…” widows of Ma Dham barbara Houghton discovered, however, her love for photography and ended up graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a MFA degree in photo. She taught photography for 18 years at Metro State College in Denver, CO, then came in 1992 to NKU as Chair of the Art department, and more recently as art faculty professor. Houghton’s photos have always been personal, initially self-portraits and pictures of people from her family, allowing her to explore and be who she wanted to be. While in Denver, she did a series of self-portraits in infrared, then a series of large photograms of her clothes, of old and ripped underwear. “I was putting myself out on paper,” she says, “also wanting people to think and laugh.” on the intricate relationship between sports, sex and violence, on how sports had become religion-like in our country. All along Houghton had also been concerned by the unequal condition and neglected role of women in many parts of the world. She became very interested in SEWA, Self-Employed Women’s Association, a trade union of poor, self-employed women in India, started in 1972 by Ela Bhatt. Bhatt, a young female Indian lawyer, had experienced the economic exploitation and lack of power of working Indian women and wanted to organize them so they would become protected by labor laws and self-reliant. SEWA, essentially a women helping women organization, grew quickly to form its own banks, build trade cooperatives, trade facilitation Houghton also brings her concern to liberate and empower women to her classroom. She strongly associates with her young girl students who frequently are lost trying to figure out who they are. They remind her of herself, of how she metamorphosed from a weak woman to a more assertive one; and she does all she can to help them, guide them, teach them how to be strong. “All trajectories of my works are connected,” says Houghton. “They all fall in the broader context of the human; from the questioning about myself, a woman, an artist, what I wear, where and how I fit in the world, my journey; to the free-thinking and rebellious Galileo, the image of a man I fell in love with; to the oppressed and exploited women of India; to women in general… When I make art it empowers me, helps me find my way; it has changed my life. I want to share it with others hoping it might achieve the same. Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource April 15, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Health Care for the Homeless Program is a Mobile Marvel Pg 2: In My Shoes Pg 3: Sworn Not to Betray Pg 4: Building Bridges with Neighbors Health Care for the Homeless Program is a Mobile Marvel Continued Pg 5: Shine a Light on human Rights! Pg 6: Mark Twain was Right Pg 7: One Ohio Now Pg 8: By the Grace of God, A Story of Survival and Strength Pg 9: Local Pg 10: Q&A with New York Times Columnist Gail Collins Pg 11: Prostitution: Crime or Controversial Career? Pg 12: Meet Up Pg 13: Poetry Pg 14: The Signing of Senate Bill 5 Pg 15: Summer Internship Program Pg 16: Women Helping Women Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 15, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Elizabeth Schulenberg Jim Luken Saad Ghosn Jeni Jenkins Willa Denise Jones Josh Spring Sheli DeLaney Lee McCoy Corey Gibson B. Clifton Burke Cleo Wombles Mayuko Hida Yushin Toda Dan Moore Kelissa Hieber Sandra Knollman Brenda Zechmeister Judge Leslie Isaiah Gaines Chris Kromer Sheli DeLaney Amiee Willhoite Rico Green Jimmy Heath Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Amiee Willhoite B. Clifton Burke Brenda Zechmeister Chris Kromer Cincinnati Cleo Wombles Corey Gibson Crime Dan Moore Elizabeth Schulenberg GCCH health care Human Rights Internship Isaiah Gaines Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jim Luken Jimmy Heath Josh Spring Judge Leslie Kelissa Hieber Lee McCoy Mark Twain Mayuko Hida New York Times Ohio Photography Poetry Prostitution Protests Rico Green Riots Saad Ghosn Sandra Knollman Senate Sheli DeLaney street papers Willa Denise Jones Women Yushin Toda https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/a06be7487d217e471715183e7d9d59f1.pdf ecd1e7125f967b55e9db23da43663c5a PDF Text Text A Rally for Peace Autism S t r e e t vibeS Awareness april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 Month PG 5 Stories from 2001, Cincinnati Riots and Unrest PG 6 PG 4 MARCH 15-31, 2011 A D V O C AT I N G J U S T I C E 1 ISSUE 196 • BUILDING COMMUNITY $1 Streetvibes Remembers... We would like to dedicate this issue of Streetvibes to those we lost ten years ago, to those who lived through the unrest and carried on, and those who are still effected by it today. Jimmy HeatH Former Streetvibes Editor These photos were taken during the unrest by Jimmy Heath. J immy Heath was a photographer and community activist living and working in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Jimmy came to Over-the- Rhine nine years ago as a homeless person, eventually finding his way to the Drop Inn Center homeless shelter. He had hit rock bottom in his life and career, and had turned to alcohol and drugs for solace. At the Drop Inn Center, Jimmy Heath found hope and recovery and a new direction for his life and inspiration for his photography as a community activist and documentarian. He was a successful editor of GCCH’s Streetvibes and was active with the Coalition for many years. Jimmy passed away in December 2007. Race Relations 101 Jim Luken Contributing Writer W hen the riots occurred in 2001, I was living in a small town in Northern Vermont, which was about as far away from Cincinnati and its problems as a person could be,and still be living in the “belly of the beast” (the USA). I was managing a low-income housing facility (all white) in the middle of the town. Knowing I haled from Cincinnati, several of my old-lady residents brought the news of the riots to me on April 10th. I remember one of the ladies asking, “What kind of city do you come from, anyway?” As a white man who had lived for several years in heart of Over the Rhine during the ‘90s, I had a pretty good sense of the “kind of city” where I had been born. Politically republican. Socially conservative. And, like most municipalities in the Northern states, in a huge state of denial about the racist atmosphere that prevailed, and that “colored” so many interactions between black folks and white folks. But, being so far removed from it, I found myself surprised that these attitudes, and this atmosphere, had spawned what NBC News described as “the most devastating riots since Watts(1992).” I had been aware of police problems in/ with the African-American community, that there had been several shootings of black men by white police officers prior to 19 year-old Timothy Thomas’s death. But I was, to repeat, white. I didn’t record, on the walls of my imagination (or my soul), the deaths of each of 15 other young black men (all under 40) that had occurred between 1995 and April 7, 2001. Nor did I know much about the four police officers killed (or wounded) during those deadly interactions. But, on both sides in Cincinnati, other people were running tallies, and—after young Thomas’s shooting on April 7—one side had obviously had enough. On April 9, the race riots—this time exclusive to Cincinnati—exploded locally and nationally, and even internationally. An old friend of mine, 63- year-old (white) Mike Henson, now a clinical counselor for Paths to Recovery in OTR, was contacted by a journalist in Rome who interviewed him for an Italian Newspaper, Il Manifesto. He remembers being on the West Side and stopping to help an African American couple whose car had broken down. He gave them a ride home. However, there was a strange atmosphere in the car. “Black and white people weren’t talking much at the time. It was an odd time for us to be holding a conversation.” Mike had been working for the Urban Appalachian Council at the time, and recounted, in his interview, several stories of police over-reaction that had occurred among Appalachian whites in Lower Price Hill at the time. Then he added (translated from the Italian newspaper): “I know that the police have a hard life and a difficult job, especially when tasked with the daily battle against the [drug] pushers in my community. I know there are police who themselves worry gravely See Race Relations Pg. 3 about their relationships with the people.” Long time OTR resident Georgia Keith, 65, lives on Republic Street, a block from where Timothy Thomas was shot. She remembers the time vividly. “It was terrible,” she says, “and I think it could have been avoided.” Keith says there were problems on both sides, but remembers that there was almost “hysteria” on the part of the police. “Then, as now” she believes, “a lot of the problems were brought into our neighborhood from outside.” One inequality she vividly recalls is that “the businesses was treated unfairly.” Black businesses were forced to close Jones while many white businesses remained open. That was not fair.” “Pray for the dead but fight like hell for the living” - mother �editorial 2 10 the number of years since the unrest in Cincinnati. pages 1, 3, & 4 19 the age timothy thomas was when he was killed, sparking riots in Cincinnati in 2001. page 1 1 in 110 the number of children diagnosed with autism. page 5 4-1-2001 the day Dan Moore’s excerpt from his cartoon Mark twain Was right: Stories from the 2001 Cincinnati riots and Unrest page 4 I am sure you were on pins and needles (I am kidding, really) but I have decided on a new name for this editorial. ‘In My Shoes’, is a nod to the tall shoes I walk in most days. You can call me a stupid girl for it but I love my shoes…and about five and a half feet above them resides my brain…a big, smart brain that I do in fact have…you’ll find it right beneath my highlighted hair. Yes, I am way more Elle Woods than Streetwise. This editorial is my opinion, and my time here at Streetvibes is also my education as much as it is a job. And I thank the people who are my teachers here in every instance. Because again, more Legally Blonde than Streetwise. But I think that may be a good thing. It means I will do anything and everything for what I believe is right. And it means I am honest and I’ll have your back if you have mine. I am learning this is the way I need to be in this job, this community, and in life. My education here has taught me so much about the stories you’ll read in this issue of Streetvibes. I am proud to share these stories. I am honored with the duty of sharing what people in this community have felt in the ten years since the unrest. I was only 16 when Timothy Thomas was killed. I was a Sophomore in high school and I lived in Lakeside Park, Kentucky. So clearly, I do not have the raw emotions and thoughts of what happened in this community. But that is where my education at Streetvibes comes in. People have shared their feelings and thoughts in this issue. The passionate, passionate feelings that this community still has. My goal with this issue was to honor those emotions by giving them a voice. My goals is to reflect on the events of ten years ago during the unrest, and allow the raw concerns that still plague this community even today, to be heard. I can hardly imagine the fear and uncertainty that surrounded that time. The community has come so far, but the pain is still very real. So to the community… I honor you, each and everyone who was effected. I honor you for living through it and carrying on. This community has done that and will continue to do that. This community must believe in itself. It just must. And it will. Believing in yourself never goes out of style. On a side note, a memorial has been announced for Bruce Morris who recently passed. Tuesday April 5th @12 pm at the Jimmy Heath House. From the Director the day the rally for peace took place on Fountain Square to mark the 8th anniversary of the iraq War, and to promote peace and civility. page 6 5 to 1 the staff to student ratio at lighthouse Community School. page 7 3 the number of years local artist rod Northcutt has taught traditional, non-electric, woodworking skills through a making-based traveling course, Unplugged. page 16 a p ril 1-14, 2011 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo.com Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff We Are At WAR in Cincinnati Editor Jen Martin, jenmartin@cincihomeless.org JosH spRing 3-19-2011 StreetvibeS W ar! At the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless we like to deal in Truth. Not everyone likes to hear or see Truth, but we believe that the Truth must be proclaimed loudly, must be respected and ultimately should change us. So let’s talk about some Truth. The Truth is that the united states of america not only is a brutal country now, but has always been a brutal country; in fact our roots are founded in brutality. Prior to the landing of white people upon these shores this land held the nations of many people that had been here for an unknown span of time. We did not establish this country based on some Godly ideals. We established this country through mass lying, theft, coercion, hate, occupation and murder. We not only thought ourselves better than those here, but also capable and worthy of deciding that they should not be here and millions of them should die for our destined right to be here. This country was created through war, and not in the sense of some sacred revolutionary war, but the forced death of generations of people. Far too often in this country, both people and organizations who call themselves either conservative or liberal, attempt to maintain that at its core, the united states of america is about freedom and humanity and that we should therefore get back to our core. To stand by such a belief is to stand by a lie and to disrespect the untold numbers of people that have died at the hands of this country. In fact, the belief that the usa is inherently about freedom and humanity is such an absurdity that many of those that stand by this belief, will also say that in order to keep freedom, we must at times have war- that somehow war leads to freedom and humanity, and war especially keeps those of us in the usa free. This lying mantra is what launched us into both the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq. We have been at war in Afghanistan since October 7, 2001- over nine years and five months. We have been at war in Iraq since March 20, 2003- now over eight years. We tend to use words that allow us to feel okay about the injustices we are committing. For example, we leapt into these wars with the label of “The War on Terror.” Obviously terror is a bad thing, and inherently going to war against “Terror” would be good and upright.“Terror” should in fact be ended. These wars, however, have not been on “Terror.” These wars have been on people. We are purposefully distracted from the fact that we are at war on people by thinking we are waging a “War on Terror” The term “war” itself has become mundane and has little affect upon many. Do most of us really feel the wars daily or do we even know when we do feel the wars? No, we don’t. “War” has become just another word and we have become so used to the word, that it barely affects the usa psyche. War is not real to us. This is another case in which we must begin to deal in the Truth. The Truth is that war means lying, theft, occupation, rape, mass bloodshed and murder, not of “Terror,” but of people. War is murder- horribly and simply. We have been murdering people and being murdered in these wars for going on ten years now (not to mention all the other below-the-radar murdering we are involved in). Next, when we talk about war, especially if we are against it, we like to talk about the usa going to war or the president going to war or congress or any host of people, but again, we must deal in Truth. The Truth is that WE are engaged in war. WE are engaged in murder. Our tax-dollars pay for the bullets and bombs that rip apart the hearts and heads of people in other parts of the World. Our (regular people) compliancy allows these wars to murder countless people. This is Truth. We may be against it, we may even protest, march, rally, write letters, vote and do all of See From the Director Pg. 12 Art Director Elizabeth Schulenberg Contributing Writers Jim Luken, Riccardo Taylor, Saad Ghosn, Catie Dargue, Jeni Jenkins, Willa Denise Jones, Jennifer Martin, Laura Osborne-Coffey, James Brown, Lee McCoy, Dawn Fuller, Elisa Hill, B. Clifton Burke, Jimmie Gipson, Elles van Gelder, Beth GriffithNiemann Photography/Artwork Amiee Willhoite, Saad Ghosn, Mikki Schaffner, Bill Howes, Suzanne Chouteau, Bill Howes, Cedric Cox, Dawn Fuller, B. Clifton Burke, Sarah Hager, Elles van Gelder, Catie Dargue, Laura OsborneCoffey The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. �3 S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 Race Relations 101 Continued from Pg. 1 Asked if she was frightened at the time, Keith says, “No, I was cautious. I’m still cautious.” She feels that some things are better now than in that tumultuous period, but that there could be a stronger ongoing effort from both sides. “We need to be creative in trying to improve the situation. The same goes for the city officials as well as the citizens. Sometimes I don’t think that they appreciate that we understand what the city needs to do.” Don Cargile, a 52 year-old union electrician who now calls Las Vegas home, says he was living in Colerain Of the situation in Over the Rhine today, Don Cargile is reflective. “The situation is complex,” he says. “I think there are well meaning people who wish it would just… go away.” Twenty-five year-old, Rodney Beamon is the Community Outreach Coordinator for Elements, a youth hip-hop venue on Central Parkway that focuses on “rap and respect.” His take on things, then and now, has a different slant than the other, older folks who were interviewed for this story. Obviously, Beamon was just fifteen at the time of the Thomas shooting, but he was a very vocal young man, who literally got swept up in Unrest source: Jimmy Heath Township at the time of the riots, but that he came downtown often “to support the demonstrations, and the work of pastor [Damon] Lynch.” Many downtown people I have talked to say that Reverend Lynch [of New Prospect Baptist Church near Findley Market] was hugely important in helping to calm tensions and bring the two sides to some kind of mutual understanding. According to Cargile, “Damon Lynch was concerned with a fair investigation of the facts [about Timothy Thomas’s death and some of the other questionable police shootings].” It was obvious to Cargile that the leaders of the black community were strongly discouraging the rioting and the “disrespectful conduct.” “As I saw things go on,” Don Cargile says, “I think people confused the peaceful protests with those who came out to wreak violence. I don’t know if this was visible to people from the outside, but to me it was.” Cargile lays part of the blame on the media’s coverage of the events of those fateful days. “I think that the rioters and those who misbehaved got more of the press. And I think that the better cops got discouraged, just as there seemed to be the possibility of a settlement between the city and the protesters.” Carlisle has been living back in the city and the neighborhood for the past several years. He has taken a strong interest in understanding the dynamics of Over the Rhine and downtown Cincinnati. He reflected on what has seen since returning from Nevada. “I feel like, to a degree, the neighborhood has morally deteriorated, and that a lot of decent people are somewhat tired. I think that the answer may lie within the community and within the family to a great degree “This may not be liked, but I’m gonna say it anyway. The answer lies in how we [in the African American community] handle our households, how we teach our children, how we treat each other. That was one of the messages of the original Black Panthers’ Party. Self accountability.” the pain and the power of what came down during, and immediately after, the riots of ‘01. In the African American Community, “Speak-Outs” were held in various local churches, so that the people would have a chance to express their fears, their frustrations, their hopes. Young Beamon attended one of these events at the New Freedom Baptist Church in Avondale. There, he says, he focused on one of the other disputed shootings. He recounted for me the gist of what he told the gathered people. “I talked about a man named Lorenzo Collins, a mental patient. He left the hospital, no shoes and socks, dressed in a hospital gown. Someone reported that he was carrying a brick. The cops came, They maced him once. Then a second time. The man was unstable! They said he charged at them with his brick. Hit one of them with the only swing he took. Caused a concussion. The police shot him nine times. Later, during the riots, they used bean-bag guns and rubber bullets on rioters. I asked my audience where were the bean bag guns? Where were the rubber bullets, when they were dealing with this mental patient?” Rodney Beamon’s eloquent words at that Speak-Out thrust him almost immediately into the national spotlight. Everyone apparently wanted to know about the Cincinnati riots. He participated in other SpeakOuts. One in Newark, called B-CAP (Black Cops Against Police Brutality). He spoke at the State of the World Black Conference along with Danny Glover and Dick Gregory. “I guess they were looking for a young black American man who was able to articulate the issue,” he now says, almost modestly. Beamon frames the whole situation of the riots from the point of view of the young people. “The city was in turmoil,” he says, “and the youth thought they didn’t have the chance to express themselves. They found it dangerous to live in their own community. It seemed like every other day there were deaths. The same people you think you would call to protect you, are the same people who are killing young black males. The city got to the point it couldn’t take any more.” The rioters, Rodney Beamon claims, amounted to about eight to ten people who were fed up, “and the only thing they knew how to do was to express themselves in destructive way, to tear things up, and set things on fire.” Beamon believes that because of all the national attention, and the boycott of the city that came in the wake of the riots, a certain amount of accountability came to the police department. But after most of the dust had settled, he believes the police simply “ignored the Over the Rhine community and allowed it to selfdestruct.” As the 10th “anniversary” of the riots approaches, Beamon is refusing most invitations to talk to the Media. “I’ve known Curtis Fuller for years, and I just don’t want to be pulled into all that media stuff.” He says the only reason he did my interview was because it was Streetvibes, and because he and I had a mutual good friend in Mary Burke, director of Over the Rhine Community Housing. Ten years after the riots, Rodney Beamon states emphatically, “A whole lot ain’t changed.” And he repeats the statement to make sure I understand his conclusion. Now, he believes, the local powers-that-be are “dragging people out of the community, forcing them to live away from the bus lines, all for their own personal gratification.” It was almost as if he didn’t want the anger to come out, but—once started—there seemed to be no stopping him. “They’ve got money to buy street cars, but they don’t have money to feed homeless people. And they don’t have money to help youth groups, like Elements.” Rodney Beamon doesn’t feel the city or the police are willing to support organizations like his, that are helping, on a daily, basis to prevent what happened in 2001 from happening again. “Our solution was this. We created a Hip-Hop Center where the kids can express themselves in a more creative and positive way.” By the time I returned to Cincinnati from Vermont, in the summer of 2004, the after-effects from the riots were, by and large, gone. The national boycott seemed to have had a sobering effect on at least part of the city. I found an apartment near 14th and Race. The ghetto, at that time, was a different place than the one I had left seven years earlier. It felt like a lethal arcade game, a shooting gallery, and a killing machine. Four people were shot and killed on the street within a block of my apartment in less than 8 months. I would hear gunshots in the middle of the night, often three or four times a week. I developed an almost eerie intuition as to when those shots were just the “drug boys” showing off, and when their bullets had found human flesh. In those days, as most neighborhood residents recall, the drug boys were on almost every street corner. The police had backed off, usually arriving for the clean-up, but little else. Cincinnati became another kind of spectacle. Many law-abiding people living in the ghetto believed that the police had basically abandoned the neighborhood to the dealers and their (often brutalized) suburban clients. The cops, I was told, felt they had taken the blame for causing the riots. What came next—as all of us folks who live in OTR know—is still in process. And it involves wrecking balls and bulldozers and off-street parking. The purging of entire blocks of poor people from their long-time homes. “Gated” dwelling-places. Yuppie shops. Gentrification. We have even been fenced out of our park. As things stand now, it appears, racial and class problems will simply resolve themselves… in a more civilized way. Civilized, that is, from the point of view of the gentrifiers, the city bigwigs, the big money folks who funnel in millions through 3CDC. Instead of ignoring the problems, instead of doing battle with the problems, it appears that the main problem, i.e., the poor (whom Jesus said “will always be with us”) are simply being pushed further and further out of this last corner of Over the Rhine, which some of us still call “our beloved community.” Maybe Jesus had it wrong. P.S. The Cincinnati police were contacted numerous times in order that they might express their own ideas about the city then and now. Apparently,they chose not to respond. As the reader can tell, from many of the comments above,” the poor people kindly stuck up for them. �4 StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 mark twain Was Right: stories from the 2001 Cincinnati Riots and unrest Dan mooRe Author and Illustrator M ark Twain Was Right: Stories from the 2001 Cincinnati Riots and Unrest is a soon to be released graphic novel about United States’ first urban uprising in the 21st century. The following excerpt is during the daytime on Tuesday, April 10 2001, after protests in Over-The-Rhine continue into their second day and the police begin to respond to the growing uprising. The story is told in a series of first-person perspectives from people who became intimately involved, from community leaders to random bystanders. Tying these narratives together is commentary by the author himself, then a budding radical teenager who finds the urban unrest influencing his life. Drawing on interviews and primary resources, a picture is painted of how one kid’s solitary death in a ghetto alley grows to impact every resident of the region. Mark Twain Was Right follows the sometimes contradictory and hard-to-comprehend developments from the day of the killing to Thomas’s funeral six days later, including the marches, posturing, organizing, brutality, looting, prayer, curfews and analysis that commanded international attention, inspiring ghetto residents and tormenting city leaders. For more information about the complete graphic novel Mark Twain Was Right, email cincinnatiriotsbook@gmail.com for information and updates about the release of the completed novel. Dan P. Moore was born and raised in Cincinnati and received his bachelor’s degree in Community Development at Portland State University. He first got involved in organizing during high school, founding the Cincinnati Radical Youth and has never stopped since then working on a variety of issues that engages marginalized communities at the base level. Currently, he is an organizer at the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center, organizing low-wage and immigrant workers. Aside from self-publishing two comic zines, One of those Beautiful Days, and A Guide to Relationships during a Recession, this is his first graphic novel. �S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 autism awareness month 5 Chocolate Lockets and yellow pillows: an autism story sanDRa knoLLman W hen most people think of autism, they think of Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rain Man, someone locked away in an institution who could spout off mathematical facts and figures at the drop of a hat. Or even the “stereotypical” child walking around with a helmet on their head in order to prevent injury while banging their heads on a wall or some other surface. What people don’t realize is that autism is more than some part in a movie, and that no two people with autism are alike. I have two daughters, one officially diagnosed with autism, and one who has severe receptive language disorder and disruptive behavior disorder. This pretty much means there aren’t too many dull or quiet moments in my household. Especially not for the past year since my oldest daughter was unexpectedly kicked out of her autism program. I always thought of myself as fearless and bulletproof, that is until the day my daughter got kicked out of her autism program. I thought I was going to school for a typical meeting, and ended up taking my daughter home from that school for the last time. I was told she was “no longer a good fit”; “causing anxiety in other kids” (not true!); and that she was “no longer welcome” at that school. I had just settled into a job I loved at a local nonprofit doing foreclosure counseling for clients who were past due on their mortgages. I helped them try to get loan modifications from their lenders. I also taught foreclosure prevention classes, as well as budget and credit classes and counseling. I had only been there five months when my daughter got kicked out. I had to quit that job because I hadn’t been there long enough to take family leave. So where did that leave my family? It left us with one income and no school for my daughter. It took a whole month to find her a new school. Once I found her a new school, the only job I could find was working as med tech and nurse aide at a local assisted living facility making half of my previous salary. It’s been a year now, and I finally feel like my life is somewhat back to normal. My daughter is in a school she loves, though she really misses her old friends. I’m at a different job that I love working in an adult day training program for adults who have developmental disabilities. I’m hoping that working here will help prepare for life as the future parent of an adult with developmental disabilities. Some people have told me they’d be bitter if they had to go through what my family has in the past year. I say no. As I tuck my oldest in at night and tell her I love her all the way to the moon and back to a yellow pillow, and all the way to the moon and back to a chocolate locket for my youngest daughter, I realize that life could be much worse. As the mother of an individual with autism, the daughter, the sister, and the aunt of an individual with autism, I see the potential in all. Every one of them has something unique to offer this world. Rising stars By BRenDa ZeCHmeisteR, CooRDinatoR Rising Star Studios, Edgewood, KY A ccording to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recent findings revealed as many as one in 110 children in the United States are now diagnosed with autism. It’s the fastest-growing developmental disability; according to the Autism Society, the annual growth is 10 - 17%. April is Autism Awareness Month. Several activities are planned locally in conjunction with this, from advocacy - with the Autism Society of Ohio partnering with the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Network on a Legislative Advocacy Day at the Statehouse - to raising awareness - with an Autism Awareness Game on April Nancy Cooper source: Brenda Zechmeister 20th in partnership with the Cincinnati Reds. In addition, organizations such as New Perceptions’ or e-mail info@risingstarstudios.org. Interested program, Rising Star Studios, will provide additional participants must reserve their spot by April 7. support for the autistic community with a special outreach sampler program, Monday, April 11 – More Rising Star Studios Thursday, April 14. Rising Star Studios will offer Although there are many centers that offer complimentary classes for autistic youth from 4-7 p.m. rehabilitative services such as occupational, speech and in art, photography, music, computers, life skills, cooking, behavioral therapy, the Rising Star Studios program is and yoga. All classes will be held at New Perceptions, distinctive. This program makes an incredible difference One Sperti Drive in Edgewood, Kentucky. in the lives of young people with autism and other special needs in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern For more information, call 859-344-9322, ext. 15, Betsty and Alex source: Brenda Zechmeister Kentucky area through unique arts and life skills classes. Art, music, and dance are more than a valuable leisure skill through which young people with autism and special needs can learn to express themselves. The overall quality of their lives is improved as they learn to function more independently. Students learn and improve upon social skills, academics, communication skills, motor skills, and activities of daily living. The skills they learn through the fine arts, in addition to life skills classes such as cooking and computers, stay with them for a lifetime. Great Books! visit facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/streetvibesnwes streetvibes.wordpress.com www.cincybooks.com �6 Rally for peace StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 Coffee party sponsors peace Rally on Fountain square Coffee Party Cincinnati and friends held their first annual “Patriotic American Peace Rally” on Fountain Square, Saturday March 19. This rally was held to mark the 8th anniversary of the Iraq War, and to promote peace and civility. Coffee Party Cincinnati hopes that this rally will encourage people to take a stand against war, violence, and hate. Approximately 100-200 people attended the rally. sHeLi DeLaney T he national Coffee Party Movement established itself in January 2010 as a non-partisan grassroots political organization, and Coffee Party Cincinnati is one of its many local chapters that have sprung up across the state of Ohio and the US since its inception.The Coffee Party was created to be a venue for people who are disenchanted with two-party politics and want to work toward positive solutions, government accountability, removing corporate influence from politics, and making government a true expression of our collective will. When it comes to political discourse, Coffee Party wants candidates and elected officials who will quit wasting time slinging mud, disagree without being disagreeable, stick to the facts, and never EVER use rhetoric that deliberately incites hatred and violence toward other groups of people. The Coffee Party formed last year in response to the bitter hateful rhetoric surrounding the healthcare reform bill about this time last year, and also in response to the non-stop media coverage of the Tea Party. Over the last year, it local chapters have organized in nearly every major city across the US, and have taken on a wide range of political causes. At our rally we presented speakers from different organizations around Cincinnati that are in support of ending the wars. The speakers we featured included: Don Rucknagel, Green Party; Josh Spring, Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless; Professor Mark Lause, University of Cincinnati Department of History; John Waltz, Veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; Robert “Buck” Clay, Veteran of the Iraq War; Donna Park, Citizens for Global Solutions, Elizabeth Ampthor, International Socialists Organization, and Fariba Nourian, Coffee Party Cincinnati. Throughout the rally, we circulated a letter to our US Representatives in Ohio for you to sign which states that we want them to stop supporting funding for the wars and to fight for money for social services, education, healthcare, libraries, public radio, infrastructure, job creation, and all that other good stuff that we love that we believe the government should be providing for us. A total of 65 signatures were collected. We organized this rally because we know that it is wrong for the US to wage war and occupy foreign countries. We know that it costs enormous amounts of tax payer money to sustain such efforts, while other much-needed photo by sheli DeLaney programs go unfunded or underfunded. We know that contractors and corporations are able to make huge amounts of money from war profiteering, while our economy slumps and our middle class and our poor struggle to recover from a recession. And more than the monetary cost of the war is the loss of life that results from it; thousands of soldiers, and many times more civilians, that could have otherwise lived out their lives and made a positive contribution to society, are lost to us forever. Many of us have lived through several periods of war, violence, and political unrest, and enough is enough. Ironically, at the same time we were holding our rally Saturday, a coalition of armed forces from Britain, France and the US began attacking the Libyan military in order to stop them from killing protestors and rebels. While we agree that the people of Libya must be protected, we hope in the future that regimes like Gadhaffi’s are never put in power in the first place. We also wish that coalition forces would not pick and choose whose people they are going to protect, because while they may be stopping the attacks on the people of Libya, the people of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen are still being killed by their own government. Finally, several of our supporters have spoken out against the name Patriotic American Peace Rally, saying that it is misleading, delusional, and even offensive, since nationalism and patriotism in the US is associated with a long history of imperialism and national superiority. While those are fair and well-intentioned critiques, we believe that as Frederick Douglas once said “a patriot is a lover of one’s country that rebukes it and does not excuse its sins.” We at Coffee Party Cincinnatireject the framing of what some call patriotism, and we want to challenge these definitions. Being against the wars and the military machine is patriotic. Of course, we know our title is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but we sincerely hope the rally attracts some from the right who oppose the empire. They exist and should be reached out to. With them we are a majority. And we feel that we can love our country and the world at the same time. Making change starts at home at the local level. photo by sheli DeLaney �Community S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 7 Lighthouse Community school CoRey giBson G rowing up can be tough, but growing up in the child welfare system can be even tougher. With hundreds of thousands of children growing up with out a home, essentially living under the care of the government, education can be a difficult step in these children’s lives. But for the children in the Greater Cincinnati area living in foster care or in the welfare system, they can turn to the Lighthouse Community School. a library with a student staff ratio of 5 to 1, Lighthouse Community School is like any other school in the neighborhood. David Rosenthal, owner of Prairie Gallery in Northside, is one of the many volunteers at the school. He has been working in the community for years doing photography programs. “Basically {the programs} introduce photography as a way to learn about art making,” said Rosenthal. “And also learn about how art works in the world.” He began working with the Lighthouse Community School a year ago when he did a graphic novel project with the students. The graphic novels vary heavily from student to student. One tells the story of growing up with an alcoholic family member, while another tells the story of a prince. The writings are accompanied by astounding photos taken by the students that show how they see the world around them. The creativity and sharp photography make the stories extremely intriguing. “They were autobiographical, fictional, fantastical things,” said Rosenthal. This year he is teaching a class at the school once a week that combines the art of photography with the creative stylings of fashion designs. One of Kayla Bentlay’s wardrobe designs Her country is Ireland. Lighthouse Community School is a highly specialized school for high school age students that stresses “individualized, flexible and intensive strategies to meet the educational needs of youth in the child welfare system.” The school does all it can to accommodate the students. The school is sponsored by the Cincinnati Public Schools, meaning no tuition for the students; “The goal of the class is to engage the students with developing creative concepts based on research about the world,” said Rosenthal. The students are studying specific countries of their choose and translating those into fashion designs. The students also document their projects throughout the process by taking photographs of the things that inspire their clothing. Rosenthal started the students out by having them look at fashion magazines and research about different countries. He Marvin Binford working on one of his wardrobe designs. His country is Mexico. Next, he asked the students to take photos of things, anything. He wanted the students to get used to using a camera. “Our first couple of photo shoots we were just asking them to experiment with the camera, just to see what a camera can do,” said Rosenthal. “They looked at things close up, at extreme angles, what happens when you over or under expose a picture. Just looking at the possibilities of the medium.” Since Rosenthal has a limited time with the students each week, the students are using available clothing instead of fabricating their own. To make up for not being able to sew the outfits, he took the students to Goodwill to find clothing for their outfits. “I think it is an important part of the whole thing,” said Rosenthal. “Part of my bigger mission in life is to find creative ways to involve artists in the world.” He wants the world to acknowledge the work these students have accomplished. the school works with local districts to provide transportation and community volunteers from all around help to keep the school running. With a basketball team, volleyball team, computer lab and instructed the students to find colors they want to use, shapes they can incorporate into an outfit and textures that could be manipulated and copied onto the clothing. Rosenthal raises the bar for his students. He challenges them to do amazing things with not just art but with their lives. He treats these students just as he would treat graduate students he has taught in the past. After taking pictures for inspiration, the students began thinking about clothing they wanted to use. Rosenthal introduced the idea of styling to the students. The students took clothing and accessories and began using them in unconventional ways to what the outcome would be. The students would dress the mannequins and photograph the outfits, using lighting to change the “mood of the garment.” The end goal of the project is an exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center on May 6, which showcases the student’s work. The exhibition will include the fashion designs, the photographs taken along the way, collage work and the conceptual photos taken for inspiration. A student working on styling their mannequin. to college students who at an advanced level still have difficulty with the projects. Rosenthal said he wants the students to learn about creative expression and what it can mean to them. Since many of the students in the school have never had a chance to take a photography or fashion class, Rosenthal wants to give them an outlet for expressing themselves. Yet what he is really instilling in the students is a passion to succeed when they are challenged. Rosenthal gives the students problems that he has presented One of Dasheka Edward’s wardrobe designs. Her country is Bolivia. She transformed a scarf into a top and a button up t-shirt into a blouse. The yellow and green stripes are taken from a wind sock’s streamers. “Part of the reason I really like this work is because these kids are hardly ever challenged,” said Rosenthal. “They go through life, starting at a very early age, with the bar being automatically lowered. If someone walks into a situation knowing the exceptions are low, that is how they are going to perform.” �Local 8 StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 Rally at Fountain square keLissa HieBeR Contributing Writer T uesday March 14th, was a chilly raining day, however these less than ideal weather conditions did not stop large numbers from coming out to the rally at Fountain Square. Participants of this rally, arrived in solidarity against the massive proposed budget cuts, outlined by Governor John Kasich and the proposed Ohio Senate Bill 5. Bill 5 is similar to the bill in Wisconsin, which received massive debate causing the democrats to literally flee the state to delay the vote on the bill. Bill 5 would eliminate collective bargaining rights for an estimated 350,00 police officers, teachers and a large array of other public workers. These large numbers of workers would be unable to bargain for fair wages or improved working conditions. Also strikes would be disbanded and unions would essentially be destroyed, leaving thousands of workers silenced. Kasich’s proposed budget cuts for the next two years would issue many of it’s cuts to public schools ranging from the primary to the university level, cut programs for the poor, massively cut the resources and funding for local governments and reorganize Medicare. At the rally on Tuesday, groups ranging from large unions such as AFSCME, CFT-AFT, other groups such as Jobs for Justice joined with various representatives from the inner-faith community. Also present were various undergraduate and graduate students and all types of university employees, from local colleges such as Miami University and the University of Cincinnati. Many Cincinnati City Council members such Rally Photos By Chris kromer as Mayor Mallory also spoke out in solidarity with the assembly. Mallory spoke to the crowd, saying that one of the primary reasons why public workers are being targeted is because those proposing the budget don’t understand what these worker go through and how important they are to our community. Mallory said: “They are committed to public service and to making our lives better.” Speakers from AFSCME and AFT spoke to the crowd about the importance to fighting this battle together and that in order to kill this bill; everyone was going to have to go to work. Representatives from the faith based groups AIMOS and Su Casa, voiced their support in this battle and spoke out against such bills and budget cuts, which punish those who hold the foundation of the community together. The spokesperson for AFT started her address by saying quite bluntly about Kasich: “What is wrong with this man?” Part of his questioning of the governors character came from the fact that only 9% of the budget is designated for public workers, yet they would received some of the most severe cuts and restrictions. A mother from Lakota expressed her concerns of what will happen to her daughter’s education and opportunities for things such as sports and other extra-curricular activities. She like many others asked the question of why everyday workers and public schools were suffering the most, when they claimed that these are not the people who created the budget crisis in the first place. They urged that the corporations who through unequal, unfair business practices let the economy spin out of control, should be the ones to pay, not innocent public workers. City Council member Cecil Thomas, illustrated the disconnect between government officials like Kasich and public workers by quoting something that Kasich had said to lobbyists back in November. “If you think that I’m going in the wrong direction, stop me. I don’t want to drive over a cliff. I just want to be a good governor.” Thomas said that is all well and good, but then directly after this invitation for public debate and participation, Kasich said in order for people to help build a better Ohio: “You need to get on the bus. If you’re not on the bus, we’ll run over you with the bus and I’m not kidding.” Everyone in the crowd at this rally knows that we are in a very difficult time in our country and difficult decisions do have to be made. However, those who helped to create this economic catastrophe should be held accountable and the rights and voices of essential workers need to be upheld. Is perfectly balancing the budget worth jeopardizing the livelihood of so many? And when did things such as education, suddenly become expendable and extraneous? Everyone in the crowd knew that sacrifices are ahead, however Kasich’s attitude of excluding so many from the discussions on how to deal with this situation is unacceptable. Equally intolerable are his callous remarks such as saying he will run people over if they don’t agree with him. This seems to represent a complete disregard for the people that he is suppose to be representing. If whole groups in society have no voice or rights, then this goes against the very fabric of what is supposed to define America, that of the right to freedom and participation and inclusion in democracy, which represents the ideals of the masses not just the rich. �S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 Local 9 �10 national news StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 Japanese street paper: ‘We are not defeated’ Vendors are back on the streets of Tokyo selling copies of The Big Issue Japan, as staff vowed to support all street paper vendors affected by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami. Translated by Mayuko Hida, and Yushin Toda (University of Glasgow) Originally published by The Big Issue in Scotland Additional reporting by The Big Issue Japan www.streetnewsservice.org In Sendai, capital of Miyagi - one of the north-east regions worst hit by the tsunami - all Big Issue Japan vendors are alive and accounted for. Sadly, damage to infrastructure means there has been no delivery of magazines to Sendai, Sapporo, or any of the cities in the north. Miku Sano, managing director of The Big Issue Japan’s Tokyo office, said: “In Sendai the vendors survived but do not know when they can start selling the magazines again. The vendors and people in Northern cities are fighting for their lives and (to find) loved ones. We are trying the best we can to support them. Things are not easy and will not be the same, but we are not defeated.” “We are also trying to start our football practice in Tokyo as soon as possible,” she added. “All the scheduled matches were cancelled but many of our vendors said that they want to play football to feel better.” Diary of a disaster The Big Issue Japan works with the Sendai Night Patrol Group to help the homeless in Sendai City, one of the worst hit by the March 11 tsunami. Tireless staff members have been providing free meals for anyone sleeping rough as the city attempts to recover from the disaster. Aoki San, head of the patrol team and magazine distribution in Sendai, allowed us to publish extracts from his diary about the relief effort: 14 March In Sendai, the supply of water and electricity was restored in some parts, but it will take more than a month to restore gas supply. In the Wakabayashi area, the worst affected area within Sendai city, I saw a very long queue of people trying to get half rotten oranges and only one banana. A thousand dead bodies are left unattended in a gymnasium, and there is no information Caption: People ride bicycles past houses destroyed by an earthquake and a tsunami as snow falls in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan March 17, 2011. ReuteRs/kyodo about those unaccounted for. We are planning to provide free meals of curry rice for everyone from 11am. The death toll is too big to comprehend, and many people seem to know nothing about what to do. 15 March Roads, airlines and trains are not allowed to run except for emergency vehicles, and there is the dire prospect of a shortage of goods. More than 1,000 people queued for a motorway bus. I joined a queue for Daiei Supermarket before its opening at 10am, but 30 minutes after the opening, major goods had already gone. There is a shortage of gas cylinders, noodles, tinned food, batteries, and rice. Public administration is completely paralysed. Sendai City Council opened a help desk today, four days after the earthquake. Hospitals in the city are only able to provide a partial service due to electricity shortages. Without a battery-powered radio, people are getting no information at all. Many citizens don’t know about the accidents at Fukushima nuclear plant. People are ‘information refugees’. Local radio stations function to help people to find out about missing persons. Strong aftershocks at 3am and again at 4am. A woman cries after her mother’s body was found in Onagawa, Miyagi prefecture March 18, 2011. The area was devastated by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on March 11. ReuteRs/kyodo 16 March This morning started with rain in Sendai. Today the local radio announced about the food at Wakabayashi city hall, so we had to make 1,000 meals. At lunchtime we gave out curry, miso soup and rice for about 800 people and it was gone in a second. Some hadn’t eaten for three days and queued for the food in the rain. I am worried because there’s no information about what’s going on at the nuclear power plant. I am worried about the radioactive contamination for the north Kanto region because of the north winds. There are thousands of people sleeping in the elementary schools, city halls and public halls. I will do my best to provide free meals tomorrow, although we may run out of stock if we do so. UPDATE from Miku Sano, Monday 21st March: We organised a football training session with vendors this weekend. Vendors and many volunteers participated (see images on the Big Issue Japan blog: http:// ameblo.jp/one-goal-one-step. Most of our street paper vendors are doing OK, but the ones who are in the worst hit areas face a lot of challenges. At first, many of us were surprised at how strong and unaffected most vendors seem. However, when you think about it, most of our vendors always sleep outside- which means, in many ways, the “emergency situation” that we are facing now is the kind of life they live on a daily basis. I hope this crisis will bring us together and that it will give us a chance to think more about the people who have to live in such harsh conditions not only after this earth quake, but every day. In the mean time, the latest edition of The Big Issue Japan has arrived in Sapporo. Hokkaido five days behind schedule. We still have earthquakes on a scale of M5 to M6 every day in the coastal areas around Tokyo and the north. There is a shortage of electricity and gas in Tokyo and the northern cities. People in Tokyo were panic buying food initially, but that slowly becomes less. Things are still unsettled but everyone is trying to help each other. �S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 national news 11 Bearcats Better Be Better BRyan CLiFton BuRke Now that the city’s teams have been eliminated from the Big Dance, many of its citizens have wiped basketball clean from the list of things they normally think about. After all, with the misery surrounding the Bengals and the promise of a quality Reds season, it doesn’t make much sense to dwell on local teams that lose. However, before you return the sport back to its shelf for the summer, know this: the Bearcats will soon be legit and should generate some realistic excitement this time next year. How much excitement? I don’t know; come on, fortune telling? Why do I think they will be better? Namely Yancy Gates. The legacy of this man is shaping up as a sort of tragic one. A local cat with a huge following, Gates has not manifested into the beast many of us anointed him as he left Withrow High so many years back. His NBA-ready body at the age of 18, mixed with an interesting shooting touch for a big guy, allowed some to speculate that he would be wooed by the pros before graduating. Three underwhelming seasons later, complete with a punitive benching and vigorous boos from the UC faithful, hearing Yancy confirm his desire to return seems unnecessary. Of course he’s coming back; he needs more time to maximize his draft potential which can still become quite high if he works hard and plays his cards right. Gates, though, primarily wants to graduate, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that—for all the ways universities use their high-profile athletes, snaking a degree out of them is the least he could do to even the score. Fans, however, want to see him become the local legend he seemed so destined to be. Next year is the last chance for greatness, and before the pros whisk him away to another land with another life, we want to see him spread his wings right here in his hometown. To do that, though, his game needs an injection of urgency. Yancy, like almost every one else, is a rhythm player. Those majestic 18-footers he occasionally flashes only come when he catches and shoots in rhythm. His post moves, including his stillimproving passing game, succeed when in rhythm. The problem is, he often holds the ball too long and appears to over-think himself. If he made quicker decisions, the offense could run through him easier and roles would be more clearly defined. I believe he has the raw materials to become an excellent offensive player, but he must put in the work this offseason. His defense is toughening up and his rebounding continues to get meaner, but a polished array of post moves and a sharpened sense of urgency could make him the aircraft-carrier the Bearcats will need to make their run next year. The good news is that even if Gates improves from marginally to not at all, he will still be surrounded with more size and more talent around him. Gone are the silly bigs, Andre McClaine and Ibrahim Thomas. These men were good for fouls only and didn’t even do that well. Back is the pogo forward Justin Jackson whose length and athleticism make him an outrageous transition player, along with redshirt freshman, Kelvin Gaines. The 6’10’’ Gaines looked a tad out of sorts in the Deveroes Summer League last summer, but he is large and plays angry which will help him in the burly Big East. Then there is the incoming freshman, Octavius Ellis, who sounds like a lanky power-forward enshrined in Greek mythology, but instead is one only from Memphis. Ellis’ scouting report talks of a shot-blocking European-type of forward who is comfortable scoring from the wing. Also expected to arrive on the scene next fall is a skinny Floridian named Shaquille Thomas. The nephew of NBA veteran Tim Thomas, Shaquille is raw but has lotterypick tools and could become an immediate impact player for the ‘Cats. More of a small-forward, Thomas is ranked in the ESPN’s top-100 list of high-school players and is worth keeping an eye on. The development of the back court will obviously be key as well. Cashmere Wright, Sean Kilpatrick and Dion Dixon all must raise their game throughout the summer to fulfill my expectation of each of them. One weakness coach Mick Cronin must address is a suitable backup point guard. Once it became clear Wright was not totally healthy against Connecticut in the second round, it became equally clear that there was no one better in that spot off of the bench. Either Dixon needs to learn to run the point more effectively, or incoming player, Ge’Lawn Guyn, needs to show his Division I chops right away. Wright is a man who has not been able to remain fully healthy with this team, so it seems impractical to assume that he can be depended on another full season next year. He is a fine player when he is feeling good, but a contingency plan at the point can’t be a total waste of time. All in all, this program is headed in the right direction. Mick Cronin has met hostile criticism in his five years here, perhaps due to the negative public perception that shorter people face on a daily basis, I don’t know, but his team has improved every year under his guidance. He is finally getting his recruits in place and developing them to some degree of success. True, their brainless decision-making often astounds the observer, but I’m hoping that the dumbest players on the roster are the ones graduating this summer. With a proper trimming of the unwanted dead weight and a new flock of athletic prospects slatted to arrive this fall, these Bearcats can move into the Sweet 16 and beyond in the very near future. Here’s to next year. �interest 12 ten years-not enough to get over Death in over-the-Rhine! Just how much time is enough time, to get over the death of a Family Member? JuDge LesLie isaiaH gaines Contributing Writer It’s been ten years since that April day in 1001 when Timothy Thomas’s blood soaked that tiny dead-in ally, and rad down That Gutter in Over-the-Rhine. Timothy Thomas, a member of our Cincinnati, Ohio family was gunned down by a bullet in the back; while unharmed and running from a Cincinnati Police officer; down an Over-The-Rhine ally. The entire Cincinnati Family, regardless of race or economic condition was impacted by Timothy Thomas’s sudden, premature and violent death. Burning, Looting, violence and bloodshed washed over the inner city neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine like a tsunami following an earth quake. I was on the riot ravaged streets of Overthe Rhine within a half hour of the first StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 fire being set and the first window being smashed. I immediately joined a group of citizens who grieved and mourned the death of Timothy Thomas; in the midst of trying to restore peace and stop the violence. I did not read about the riot or watch the revolution on TV. Following the dictates of fate and destiny I was drawn to the forefront of the battle; as if by a giant magnet. I was there with the residents of Over­ the-Rhine when we were choked by smoke and blinded by tear gas, as we dodged bean bags fired upon us by police officers in Washington Park. I volunteered to serve on “The Stop Squad;” A group of concerned Citizens who walked every street and ally in Over-the-Rhine trying to stop the violence. We stopped the blood-shed and performed CPR on the Findley Market; the historic market in heart of Over-theRhine. Had been strangled and entangled by the giant tentacles of violence that engulfed the city. We blew fresh breath into Findlay Marker and today ten years later it is on the road of rehab to recovery. Yes April 2011 marks ten years, many citizens of Over-the-Rhine and Cincinnati are still in a state of shock and post-traumatic grief. To those who say, “It’s been ten years, get over it!” I ask; is ten years enough time for you to get over the death of one of your loved ones? Some deaths we never get over. The death of unarmed Timothy Thomas is one of them. We never get over them. We pray for the strength to carry on. The danger in getting over, is in the fact that we may forget. If we forget history we are doomed to repeat it. Dr. King’s assassination on April 4th 1968 and President Kennedy’s assassination on November 23 1963 will never be forgotten. Timothy Thomas was not a famous person or world Leader. You don’t have to be to be loved and missed. Purchase: Over -the -Rhine a Positive Look; book by Judge Leslie Isaiah Gaines and Doctor Jennifer p. Gaines. On sale at Findley Market: Over-The-Rhine, Cincinnati Ohio. Partial proceeds to benefit the Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. ReadJudge Gaines Briefs: Weekly Brief short stories of life and Law, Yahoo Associated Content, Face Book. Judge@judgegaines.com From the Director Continued from Pg. 2 this against it, but at the end of the day, all of us in the usa are engaged in war against people in other lands. Now that we have dealt with some Truth, let’s deal with some more. War and homelessness are connected. In fact, homelessness is connected to nearly every ill in the usa. Homelessness very likely may be the ultimate symptom of our collective ills. And yes, we are all responsible for homelessness and it’s continuation. With that stated, we must take hold of the Truth that we continue to repeat the same ills and crimes over and over and over again. This is the case in a broad sense in that this country was founded through war and continues to function with a foundation of war. But, lets narrow this down a bit, war does not just take place across borders, war is very much taking place here. bottom or at the bottom never see it. It does not in fact trickle down. During this time homelessness went from being in the hundreds of thousands of people in a given year to millions of people in a given year. This is when we created modern-day homelessness. No longer were just predominately middle aged, addicted men homeless. Anyone could become homeless. This is why so many of our organizations are currently somewhere near their 25th anniversary. Obviously, the money did not trickle down, but something did. In fact what trickled down was nothing new, it had been trickling down for many years. It trickled down all the way to Cincinnati. For the past 25 to 30 years in this country we have continued to deplete our stock of low-income affordable housing and living-wage jobs. Not only have we depleted the stock of both, we have taken it a bit “ We are told nationally that we are at war on “terror” and creating freedom, and locally that we are fighting blight and de-investment and crime and creating progress and an economic base- But the Truth is that there is a war raging in our streets against those in Cincinnati that are financially poor.” In the 1980’s the Ronald Reagan administration pushed his “trickle-down theory” economics or Reganomics. In this period, the Reagan administration slashed and cut spending on safety-net services and especially housing (by the billions of dollars) and put this money into big business and military. All this was done with the promise that the big-whigs at the tops of the tall buildings would buy more cars and hamburgers that the rest of us make, we would then get their money, we would spend it, and the money would continue to work it’s way down. The problem with this theory is that for the most part the people at the tops of the tall buildings horde the money, so the people near the further. We have allowed (perhaps some of us have even supported) large companies, politicians and developers as they have wedged their way into our downtown-core neighborhood and forced people with low-incomes from their homes and businesses, taken over and given the land to whom the large companies, politicians and developers see fit- to those deemed worthy and destined to take the land. Sound familiar?-. The term for this is gentrification. Another term could be occupation, displacement, forced removal or war. War forces one group’s life upon another group’s life through the methodic erasing of those deemed undesirable. This is what gentrification does. Gentrification is war on people with low-incomes. Gentrification is war that creates homelessness. On a broad scale of stealing from one group to give to another, gentrification is why we have modern day homelessness. We currently have a war raging in our own streets- right here in cincinnati. We are at war with each other, and it is sad. People have been forced from their homes for other people to move in to the urban core. Companies, at the backing and pushing of the city, are occupying urban core neighborhoods. The lives of people with low-incomes are being threatened on a continual basis. Homes are being stolen, schools have been closed, public restrooms have been torn down, parks have been either closed or taken over by private interest, money is being hoarded up by big business, lies are being told, people are being criminalized for being financially poor and / or homeless, occupation is happening- what else can you call it but war. And by the way, the argument that sometimes you just have to have war in order to create “freedom” or in this case “progress”- is a lie. It is a lie told by those that want to steal the land and resources of another group. It is a lie that is allowed to continue because, once again, others get duped and believe the lie. Still others may not believe the lie, but stand by and allow it to happen. And lest we forget, war is murderous to the lives of people. We are told nationally that we are at war on “terror” and creating freedom, and locally that we are fighting blight and de-investment and crime and creating progress and an economic base- But the Truth is that there is a war raging in our streets against those in Cincinnati that are financially poor. The other Truth is that True freedom murders nobody and True progress hinders no life. We have a choice, do we believe we can all live together, or do we believe that some of us must not exist so that everyone else can reach their manifest destiny? �S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 story & poetry Corner Have a Laugh CLeo WomBLes A man walks into a bar and asks the bartender is he can drink free all day if he can make him laugh 13 Can you WiLLa Denise Jones Can you shut ‘emdown? Does the world believe that this is the world’s solution The Bartender agrees, so the man pulls a mouse, a small piano, and a frog out of his pocket. Can you shut ‘emdown? Keeping factory’s open with no work, now that’s pollution The mouse begins to play the piano and the frog sings opera. Can you shut ‘emdown? The free clinics, people homeless, no more Drop Inn Center One man seeing this approaches the man and offers him $500,000 for the talented frog. Can you shut ‘emdown? Washington Park, the sanitation workers, I can’t help but litter “SOLD!” He says. After the proud new owner leaves the bar with the frog, the bartender asks the man why he wouldn’t have tried to sell the frog for a million. Can you shut ‘em down? Over the Rhine was white then it was black, I thought we were all together He responds, mouse and piano in hand, that the mouse is actually a ventriloquist. Can you shut’ emdown? I’m confused so tell congress I really thought they knew better Can you believe in your heart that the decisions of our country are either republican or democratic? Can you believe that out of all the people in the world two simple parties be worthy of so much static? Can you close your eyes to the reality of the fear that has such a tight grip on our nation today? Can you keep living shut down and shut up? I’m baffled but not lost for words I can honestly say For me, learning to live without doubt or fear in my life and keeping God so close to my heart I have no doubt that without God’s blessings this world is doomed to fall completely apart With much faith and without any regards for the republicans or democrats controlling my being Without any doubt what so ever today I know that almighty God is the only real thing So can you shut ‘em down? Now slow down and take the time to think, what do you really understand? You need to come back into the days of Adam and Eve and remember when only God ruled the land! �14 StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 CmHa’s Housing Choice Voucher program opens april 4 keLLy kRameR Streetvibes contributor The Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) will open the waiting list for its Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program April 4-8, 2011. The application will be available exclusively online at HYPERLINK “http://www.hcvwaitlist.com” www. hcvwaitlist.com. This is the first time the application will be available solely online. For those with limited access to a computer, CMHA has identified resources throughout Hamilton County that will offer free computer access to fill out the online application. For a full list of free resources, applicants can call 513-977-5757, visit HYPERLINK “http://www. cinitmha.com” www.cinitmha.com. The HCV program makes safe, quality, affordable housing more accessible to those who need it most – very low-income families, the elderly and the disabled. Under the federal program, qualifying families receive a subsidy from CMHA that covers the gap between what the family can afford for rental housing, and what a private landlord charges. The participating family or individual pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord, and the amount subsidized by the program. If you plan to apply: Applications will only be accepted online at HYPERLINK “http://www.hcvwaitlist.com” www.hcvwaitlist.com from 12:01 a.m. on Monday, April, 4 through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 8. Only one application per person will be accepted. You will need a pen and paper to write down you confirmation number. What you need to apply: Individuals who apply for the waiting list will need to know information such as birthdates and social security numbers of everyone living in the household; asset information (checking and savings accounts, real estate owned); a current mailing address; and an emergency contact address. Individuals must also verify their annual household income, including: Pre-tax gross employment wages All Social Security, SSI, OWF/TANF/Welfare benefits – including minor children. All cash received on a regular basis from family, friends or others All amounts received for child support Net income received from self employment All monies received from any pension plan All monies received from assets, (i.e. rental income, interest from a Certificate of Deposit (CD), annuity, savings account, Investment Retirement Account (IRA), etc.) What happens after you apply: An application does not guarantee that you will be added to the waiting list. Those who apply for the waiting list will be randomly selected for the HCV database by lottery system, regardless of the day or time the application is submitted. If a family or individual is selected for the waiting list, they will be informed by CMHA in writing. Those who are interested in applying for the HCV April Fools in Over the Rhine A resident’s perspective on ‘change’ and why it can be seen as a joke Lee mCCoy Coming to a neighborhood near you…no it’s not a movie, it is something worse. It’s a move against any resident of Over the Rhine. It is scary, it is creepy, and it should be against the law. “Oh let me shut my mouth now!” I am talking about 3CDC…you is a bad mother…but on the real, will someone stand up to the bull shit? When an injustice has been done…will someone stand up? Years ago before any one had ever heard of a 3CDC, there was one realtor who owned most of the buildings in OTR. The rich and the poor lived side by side and rent was affordable. Now the same place has little renovation but a different view of the “improved” Washington Park and comes with a much different price tag. That apartment…actually, let me do this right, the same ‘condo’ or ‘loft’ now would cost $500 to a grand per month. Now that is April Fool’s Day. These places that we used to call home are now specifically designed and priced for anyone but the low income. Which is still insane to program waiting list should visit HYPERLINK “http:// www.cintimha.com” www.cintimha.com for more information, or speak with a case worker at local social services agencies. me with the major dollars being pumped into transportation forms in and out of the area for the “low income”. There are still so many buildingsin the area that are boarded up. Why can’t we take some of them and actually make them available and affordable for everyone? This way we could all live side by side, the rich and the poor. Remember what the good book says about ‘love thy neighbor’? I guess this doesn’t apply to 3CDC. The ‘Take Back the Neighborhood’ Rally should have sent them a clear message. Hopefully God will have a April Fools prank to play on 3CDC. Here is my hope…these moves you have been making in OTR will come to an end. You’re crooked, you’re bad boys. So answer me this 3CDC, what’cha gonnado when they come for you? Bad boys, bad boys. Even the good you’ve done here like the work with the Jimmy Heath House comes with the stench of a rat. I was walking around the other day and I was amazed at the buildings that had been destroyed downtown for this casino. The Family Dollar is gone, it seems the bus station will be next. Can you imagine how full the Justice Center would be then? I guess Simon Leis will get his April Fools if that happened. Now let me tell you something about me…in 1968 I was in the US Navy. I was a Navy Seals Officeron a submarine called the USS Enterprise. We were four thousand feet under the sea when the sub blew up. I was in an air bubble and I fought my way to the top. On the way up I ran into a mermaid and we made love. Nine months later she gave birth to twins…out came Charlie Tuna of the sea and on his fin was Bumble Bee. April Fools! �S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 15 �16 StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 Challenging problematic systems to improve Relationships Rod Northcutt uses animals and nature to reference social concerns “Once your eyes are open and awakened to social reality, you cannot escape it anymore,” says Rod Northcutt. “It stays with you and your innocence is gone.” Northcutt became acutely aware of social issues when he moved to Chicago for graduate school. He was confronted for the first time with poverty, homelessness, By Saad GhoSn Contributing Writer crowded housing, environmental decay, the many human and physical problems of a large city. They remained with him ever since and found their way into his art. A visual artist, he teaches sculpture at Miami University, Oxford, OH. He has a BFA degree in drawing and painting from the University of North Texas and a MFA degree in sculpture from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Northcutt grew up in rural Texas, intimately connected to the land and to animals he raised and tended to. It triggered in him a lifelong interest in biological and He also resorts to nature-related metaphors to raise awareness of the various societal ills. Initially destined to become a medical illustrator, Northcutt soon realized he was in reality a maker and that he liked to craft and create things; also that he enjoyed setting his art in nature, interacting with its environment, doing sculptural installations. His work, as a result, grew along these lines. In his interior gallery work, he functions like a fiction story teller, combining animals with study of the sciences or humanities. This allows him to empower the animals, understand them, especially understand human resemblance to them and what humans owe them; also to apply his meticulous craftsmanship skills to his projects. Northcutt would design an imaginary tale, halfway between truth and lies, connecting animals to human history and to real events. He would then craft related physical objects, “relics” that look real and legitimate to give support and validity to his story. He would display all in a natural history museum-like setting, thus playing with the line between fact and fiction. “I consider myself a ‘writer’ of historical fiction,” Northcutt says. “The events I cite are grounded in history yet diverge humorously from known archives by combining with current social concerns, such as outsourcing of labor... My work is carefully hand-crafted and often suggests a ‘backwater’ answer to difficult social questions.” He used for instance native woodworkers and builders such as beavers, woodpeckers, and termites, to devise an alternate history of building and manufacturing in the United States, pointing to their inherent problems. His displays have variably included relics and tools from beaver lodge architecture in the 1950’s, dioramas illustrating a 19th century American Luddite movement among beavers, Dutchstyle shoes supposedly carved by woodpeckers and beavers… At times, he also featured natural ceramic workers such as potter wasps and barn swallows. Northcutt quickly realized, however, that his conceptual gallery work did not reach common individuals who, confronted with real daily problems, could not afford the luxury of frequenting galleries. He felt the need for a different venue to touch them and resorted to outdoor installations, easily seen and experienced, and good vehicles for his social concerns. He would research a site specific area for his work, become familiar Near-Shore Fish and Flotsam of New York City, mixed media sculptural with its environmental installation with annotated diagram problems (for instance installation and photo by Rod northcutt diseases affecting its trees, gypsy moths, predator insects…), and propose a piece that speaks to its social systems that he explored, compared, and illustrated ecological or social issues. Nature and its elements would in his work using analogs between humans and the thus become proxy for humans and their life. natural world. “My sculptures, drawings, paintings, all speak of human relationships,” he says. “I use animals as surrogates to construct allegorical tales referencing social history, philosophy, labor movements, manufacturing, revolution…” In his installation Arborvention (a composite of arbor and intervention), he placed orthopedic braces around damaged dying trees. He was calling attention to the scarred trees and their condition, but also indirectly to the care needed for vulnerable, diseased, possibly disabled and neglected individuals in society. Rod Northcutt carving photo by scott allison In Near-shore Fish and Flotsam of New York City, an installation he did on the shore of East River in Brooklyn, he made, out of floating garbage collected from the site (Styrofoam, wood, plastic…), model sculptures of the various fish that live in the river. He accompanied his sculptural installation with a didactic display that included, in addition to pictures of the indigenous fish, pictures of the discarded elements and information about their constituent chemicals. The toxic chemicals we throw away became like the new fish of the battered environment. To raise awareness about consumption and recycling, and working collaboratively with Material Exchange, a green/sustainable collective, he built with materials recovered from various Chicago dumpsters, a temporary miniature golf course on which passer-bys played for 2 weeks. In one of his pieces he used bird watching as a metaphor for racial prejudice in selection and categorization, birds sought after being usually the only bright colored ones; and in another one, bird migratory pathways to reflect on Mexican migrants, natural migration patterns, in his mind, all similar and legitimate. “In my art I try to facilitate conversations that challenge habitual, often destructive, ways of thinking and living,” he says. “I want my art to make an enabling and ennobling change in both the artist and the viewer.” In addition to his art, Northcutt uses his teaching to convey his concerns. In the classroom he discusses social and environmental questions, how to research them and express them. He involved his students in developing a material resource data base to understand materials being discarded into the land, differentiating, according to the environmental theory ‘cradle by cradle’, the naturally degraded biological from the technological needing recycling. For the past 3 years he has also taught traditional, non-electric, woodworking skills through a making-based traveling course, Unplugged. He would like to offer the course, free of charge, to kids in various parts of the country, giving them access, opportunity, and ability to become creators, the creative act, according to him, “allowing unfolding and reaching the spiritual.” “With my work, lectures, and teaching, I always challenge problematic systems,” Northcutt says. “I would like my work to improve relationships between people, animals and the earth. I want to get into people’s heads; I try to do it through humor, beautiful craft, an active experience. “ Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource March 15-31, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Streetvibes Remembers… Pg 2: Race Relations 101 Pg 3: Race Relations 101 Pg 4: Mark Twain Was Right Pg 5: Chocolate Lockets and Yellow Pillows Pg 6: Coffee Party Sponsors Peace and Rally on Fountain Square Pg 7: Lighthouse Community School Pg 8: Rally at Fountain Square Pg 9: Local Pg 10: Japanese Street Paper Pg 11: Bearcats Better Be Better Pg 12: Ten Years-Not Enough to Get Over Death in Over-the-Rhine Pg 13: Arts & Poetry Pg 14: CMHA’s Housing Choice Voucher Program Opens April 4 Pg 15: Housing Choice Voucher Pg 16: Challenging Problematic Systems to Improve Relationships Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 15-31, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Elizabeth Schulenberg Jim Luken Riccardo Taylor Saad Ghosn Catie Dargue Jeni Jenkins Willa Denise Jones Laura Osborne-Coffey James Brown Lee McCoy Dawn Fuller Elisa Hill B. Clifton Burke Jimmie Gipson Elles van Gelder Beth Griffith- Niemann Amiee Willhoite Saad Ghosn Mikki Schaffner Bill Howes Suzanne Chouteau Bill Howes Cedric Cox Sarah Hager Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Amiee Willhoite Autism B. Clifton Burke Bearcats Beth Griffith- Niemann Bill Howes Catie Dargue Cedric Cox Cincinnati CMHA Dawn Fuller Elisa Hill Elizabeth Schulenberg Elles van Gelder Fountain Square James Brown Japanese Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jim Luken Jimmie Gipson Laura Osborne-Coffey Lee McCoy Mark Twain Mikki Schaffner Over-the-Rhine protest Race Rally Riccardo Taylor Riots Saad Ghosn Sarah Hager Street Paper Suzanne Chouteau University of Cincinnati Willa Denise Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/b2b7bfedb5277cef09020feab6cdf0c4.pdf 35259738bcea18df3ec635cf9e583955 PDF Text Text San Francisco S t r e e t v ibeS Homelessness March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 UC Students Skip the Beach to Give Back During Spring Break PG 14 PG 6 March 15-31, 2011 A D V O C A T I N G Barb Wolf Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer For over 40 years Barb Wolf has worked to craft her career as a documentary activist or, as she refers to herself, a “documentarist”. What began as an enduring curiosity in a 1960’s Grailville bookstore, spurred on by members of the Catholic women’s movement, ripened into a deep love for documenting human and civil rights transgressions and the people who fight them. According to Barb, in the 60’s “Grailville was made up of powerful women who would watch what you were interested in” and incite your creative potential. These women, part of the international Grail movement which was established in Loveland in 1944, were committed to “the release of women’s creative energy throughout the world” (grailville. org) and came together strictly “to change the world.” Upon recognizing Barb’s interest, the women of Grailville asked her to make a slide show on the “changing role of women” and that is when she first learned about the women’s movement. Barb had been involved in the anti-war movement and the civil rights movement almost from the beginning. In fact the civil rights march on Washington, D.C., in August 1963 was the first march she ever participated in. The Grailville slide show peaked her interest in the women’s movement because “if women could begin to understand how they had been mistreated, they might begin to understand or expand their understanding to others who had been mistreated.” Wolf ’s involvement with the 1960’s movements had a huge 1 ISSUE 265 J U S T I C E impact on her life and work, leading her to make slide shows and films about other social issues including race and poverty. “To be part of that- it was a freeing time. One of the things that I learned is to be open to change, because change is not bad. Look at the possibilities of change as opposed to fearing change.“ Barb estimates that she has made 6-8 films a year for at least 40 years, resulting in 100’s of films. Her work evolved and expanded in various directions over the years. In the early 70’s she went to work for Cincinnati’s Urban Appalachian Council and began teaching kids how to tape and edit shows on Appalachian culture. Word of mouth about her talents grew and each project led to other projects focused on giving people a voice. In the late 70’s, for example, she did a training film for an organization working on establishing home health care providers for people who were wheelchair bound. Then with the 1980’s AIDS epidemic, Wolf began making funeral videos for friends who had died after contracting the disease. Barb worked on a number of projects with activist buddy gray, founder of Over-the­ Rhine People’s movement, including “These Old Buildings Raised Our Many Children” about “people who were moved around and used like pawns and placeholders in OTR when the gentrification was just beginning.” Barb also worked with gray on a documentary on the history of the Drop Inn Center that was never completed due to buddy’s untimely death in 1996. As a champion for the rights of the oppressed, Barb has continually participated in demonstrations, rallies and marches. In 2000 Barb participated in the Trans- • B U I L D I N G Atlantic Business Dialogue conference demonstrations at Fountain Square where protestors peacefully rallied against corporate wealth and the decreasing wealth of the poor. Barb watched the protests with a camera so that “if something went wrong we could have it on tape” a tactic that has helped her fight the arrests of people who have been falsely accused. She also taped the 2001 Cincinnati riots and documented the civil unrest, which prompted her to tape virtually every demonstration that happened afterwards. In September 2001, Barb united with thousands of anti-war protestors across the country as they demonstrated against in the impending invasion of Afghanistan. Barb was arrested for standing in the street and blocking traffic as she and others were “trying not to have that war happen because it was just so wrong.” She says, “People literally poured out into the streets to say ‘stop this’, ‘don’t do it’. We had done everything else we possibly could have-and that’s what we did and we got arrested and spent the night in jail.” Barb was found guilty for disorderly conduct, despite the fact that she was calm, polite and non-violent. The appeals courts later threw out the case. More recently, in September 2006, Barb was arrested in Steve Chabot’s office as part of a nationwide movement calling on representatives to sign the declaration of peace. A judge found her guilty of criminal trespassing and sentenced her to 30 hours of community service, a sentence that she then protested because she didn’t believe doing community service, which is often a life choice, should be made equivalent to punishment. Her refusal landed her 10 days in jail, an experience that she found fascinating and “wouldn’t take it back for the world.” While in jail she was able to speak with and interview dozens of good people who had done something wrong, people she says “shouldn’t be there for a variety of reasons.” Barb describes her work as a “tool for understanding.” When she documents people she attempts to “represent people in a positive fashion” so they can “see themselves and feel proud, once they see themselves it will empower them.” She follows the philosophy of “We become what we behold” and believes “If someone sees themselves with dignity and respect they become that. That’s what I do in $1 C O M M U N I T Y my work- and then of course I try to get arrested every once in awhile.” One video project she produced, Degrees of Shame, is on the exploitation of adjunct professors in higher institutions, modeled after Edward R. Murrow’s film Harvest of Shame, a documentary on the exploitation of migrant farm workers. Barb sought to draw parallels between migrant workers and part-time professors in the “hope that they [professors] would look at migrant farmers and realize they are allies and they would try to help their cause.” Barb’s current projects include creating a training video from the Streetvibes Distributors as well as a film documenting the lives of speaker’s from the Coalition for the Homeless’ Voice of the Homeless Speaker’s Bureau. She is also making a Barb Wolf’s arrest during the local demonstration of the international protests against the 2001 War in Afghanistan. source: Unknown film on Mr. K’s Math Camp in Cincinnati and is in conversation with Ohioans for Health, See Women, Pg. 3 �editorial 2 1964 The year Barbara Wolf first marched on Washington DC, in an anti war protest (Page 1) 1984 The year Jen Martin, the Editor of Streetvibes was born (Page 2) 8 The years Lea Drury has been in Cincinnati, committed to social work (Page 4) 2-25-2011 The day The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless lead people in a rally to protest 3CDC’s recent ‘improvements’ to Washington Park (Page 8) 26,000 The amount of messages that were sent by Amnesty activists to the Iranian government demanding the release of Roxana Saberi (Page 11) 88 How much beloved Mojo, a German Shepard-Rottweiler weighed (Page 12) 17 The age Cedric Cox began playing bass in a hard rock band, Morticite (Page 16) I Jennifer Martin Editor have decided that ‘Streetwise’ may not be the best name for this editorial. When I came on as Editor for Streetvibes that was the Editorial’s name, so I just kept it; however after consideration I have decided it is a wrong fit for me. At the risk of this offending anyone, let me just be the first to say I am probably not what one would consider ‘Streetwise’. Therefore, since I haven’t come up with a new title yet, the name will just be untitled for a bit. I look forward to sharing my opinions with you through this piece. I also thought it may be a good time to let you know what I am here to do, much like a company or group’s mission statement, this is kind of mine… I came to Streetvibes because I believed in the cause which it supports, my mission as Editor, is to simply advocate for the cause and use this newspaper as a means to get the message out there. I believe Streetvibes is an avenue to awareness. I want it to be something that someone donates a dollar for, and they actually get something out of. My intention is to continue the message of the community within and to make people outside of our core know the name Streetvibes. While I understand my point of view and my ways may be unusual to others, they make perfect sense to me and I think in time others will see where I am coming from. In an effort for transparency, you should know I don’t think doom and gloom are always the way to go if you want someone to listen to your message. This is why now and in the future, especially in my Editorials, I may sometimes go for the lighter side of an issue. Again, this is all in an effort to simply keep people turning the page. I believe strongly I can bring different sets of eyes to thispaper and as long as I do that, our message as a Coalition can only become louder. In the mean time, I encourage your thoughts, critiques, and comments on the paper. When it comes to me as Editor, I want to be transparent. I don’t aim to be charming or cute, I aim to simply produce a good product, and my opinions are secondary to that. The things I write within an Editorial aren’t to be taken as fact unless specifically stated, my opinions may not always reflect those of the Coalition and its staff, and what I do write may mean something very different to everyone as individuals. This is the reason I want your opinion on issues not necessarily about who I am. Really, with all the hate we deal with on a daily basis just watching the news…I am pretty spent on it, so you’ll understand if the things I say from now on may be on a lighter and more positive note. Those thoughts will be relegated only to this box and it is called an Editorial. And aside from that I am completely aware of who I am and the fact that I know nothing in the grand scheme of things, I assure you I do not need to be told. I am also completely aware of my shortcomings and I think most would describe me as abrasive, loud, and blunt… and I tend to agree. I am all of those things. I was once given the back handed compliment that I was like a “pretty Kathy Bates” and trust me that was the nicest compliment that person could muster at the time, hardlycute or charming. I am however honest and I truly try my hardest not to judge others (as difficult as that can be sometimes), it isn’t my style. I try not to judge and within the perimeters of my job, I try to listen and be fair. I always want to hear what you have to say. I will always respond to a thought or concern if sent to me in a respectful way, so that a dialogue could start from differences. This is something that is important to me since I have not always been a member of this community or it’s very strong core of nonprofit advocates. My email is printed to the right of this Editorial, so please if you do have something to say, send it my way. I always want the reader’s voice to be as loud as mine. StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo.com Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Jen Martin, jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Art Director Elizabeth Schulenberg Contributing Writers Jim Luken, Riccardo Taylor, Saad Ghosn, Catie Dargue, Jeni Jenkins, Willa Denise Jones, Jennifer Martin, Laura Osborne-Coffey, James Brown, Lee McCoy, Dawn Fuller, Elisa Hill, B. Clifton Burke, Jimmie Gipson, Elles van Gelder, Beth GriffithNiemann Photography/Artwork Amiee Willhoite, Saad Ghosn, Mikki Schaffner, Bill Howes, Suzanne Chouteau, Bill Howes, Cedric Cox, Dawn Fuller, B. Clifton Burke, Sarah Hager, Elles van Gelder, Catie Dargue, Laura OsborneCoffey The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. �3 S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 Women Making Herstory Laura OsbornCoffey Continued from Pg. 1 Environment and Justice on creating a film about the environmental effects of Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) in Ohio, and working on documenting the opening of the co-op coffee shop opening in Norwood in Fall 2011. While Barb has never had an interest in film festivals and contests as the rewards that she gets are not from awards “it’s when they [films] make a change,” she received a videography award from the Contact Center in 1997 as well as the Maurice McCracken Peace & Justice Award in 2002. She continues her work after all these years because she is “ridiculously hopeful.” While she acknowledges she can’t fix everything, she is optimistic about continually working for solutions to social issues. While she considers herself a “persistent follower… and rarely the spokesperson” she did lead and organize a project called Artists for the Drop Inn Center. Barb initiated the project as a response to a comment she documented while filming a meeting of residents at the Drop Inn Center. The residents were asked to give input about Erich Kunzel’s push to move the Drop out of OTR. One of the residents said, “Why do artists hate us so?” She thought it was so awful that they felt that, so she got together with a couple of other artists who pulled together 40 or 50 artists who supported the Drop and put on a concert together at Southgate House. This visionary to be reckoned with was born in Wisconsin and raised in New Jersey and Michigan. She originally moved to Cincinnati in 1963 to pursue a BA in Math from Mt. St. Joseph College. She lives with her partner of 35 years, Michael Burnham, a Professor of Drama at the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music. Barb’s films and videos tell many stories and document the struggles of our people over the last 4 decades. She plans on gifting her life’s work to the historical society, to preserve this history. “You can write a letter, you can save a life. Take Action Now.” Laura grew up in Clinton County, Ohio, a Quaker stronghold. She credits this for her background in an activist life. As a teen she was involved in a 4-H horse club in Clinton County, and once she grew out of the club she volunteered as an advisor for a few years afterwards. The day she completed her Master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Cincinnati in 1986, she and her fiancé watched “A Conspiracy of Hope” tour on TV. This rock concert was a benefit for Amnesty International, and featured artists such as Sting, Peter Gabriel, Brian Adams and U2. The show also carried the message in info-mercialsby actors such as Robin Williams, Danny Glover and Whoopi Goldberg: You can write a letter, you can save a life. Take Action Now. This concert incited Laura to send in her membership, and three months later she got in touch with the Local Group 86 in Cincinnati. In the mid 80’s, Local Groups were also called ‘Adoption Groups’ as they would take on a Prisoner of Conscience case and work on it until the case was closed – either through a release,or due to the prisoner’s death. “The first case we worked on was Mohamed Mghagha in Ethopia. The group had his case when I joined, and we must’ve worked for at least 6 or 7 more years for him, until he was freed. When Mohammed was released, we had a big party with cake. We were so excited!” Laura remembers. In 1987, Laura became the coordinator for the Cincinnati Local Group 86. The group was very active, and was in constant contact with the Amnesty office in Chicago, and later in 1987 she became the Area Coordinator for Ohio. This role was a natural extension, as there were four active Amnesty International Local Groups in the state. In 1987 and 1988, she helped two new Amnesty Local groups to start in Dayton OH and Covington KY. In 1989 she began attending the ‘Training of Trainer’ program within Amnesty, which provided a training program to members to facilitate presentations and outreach for Amnesty to grow the movement. After going to through this process, she did trainings at the local, regional and national levels, including workshops at their Annual General Meetings. Three years ago, Laura was asked to join the Area Coordinator Steering Committee (ACSC) – a group consisting of one representative Area Coordinator from each of Amnesty’s five regions, plus a Board member and staff. In this group, she has worked closely with the other representatives to award a national level award to the Amnesty Local Groups, called the Sister Laola Hironaka Award. The ACSC also works to develop workshops at the annual meeting for the Local Groups and the Area Coordinators, and adds strength to Amnesty’s work with local groups and membership. Laura is also a volunteer at the Maple Creek Artisan Center in Moscow Ohio (Clermont County) – she’s done spinning and weaving demonstrations for their festivals over the past year, and she will be doing quilting workshops with them this year – for a change of pace. Maple Creek is a center for revitalizing the older arts, including pottery, blacksmithing, and other crafts. She is still very involved in the Cincinnati Local Group and is the coordinator. “We do a lot of work for the Prisoners of Conscience – our current case is Dhondup Wangchen, a film-maker in China who was arrested after he made a video of Tibetanstalking about how they felt about the Dalai Lama. Dhondup is like the ‘Indiana Jones’ of China – he was imprisoned for making the video, then somehow he managed to escape from the Chinese Police for a short while, andmanaged to smuggle the video to a relative before he was again arrested and imprisoned. Who does that in China these days?” The Cincinnati group shares this case with a Local Group in Massachusetts, and last year the two groups collected over 2000 signatures on petitions on his behalf, with some help from the concert tabling worldwide. She’s also in touch with student groups in the area, and is impressed with their energy and dedication. “Amnesty volunteers don’t stop, and we don’t go away. 2011 is Amnesty’s 50thanniversary. Our goal is to make the governments of the world realize that people around the world are watching when they arrest someone, torture someone, or execute someone, or even if they condone this behavior. The culture of human rights worldwide is growing and I am proud to be a part of that movement.” Great Books! visit facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/streetvibesnwes streetvibes.wordpress.com www.cincybooks.com �4 StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 Women Making Herstory Melissa Lea Drury Bennett Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer In recent years our nation’s streets have become home to thousands of homeless youth. The Queen City is no exception. While these individuals find their way to the streets for a myriad of reasons, from the lack of employment opportunities to running from troubled families, the bottom line is they are struggling to survive. Yet, there is some reprieve through the efforts of street outreach worker Lea Drury. As a Case Manager for Lighthouse Youth Services, Lea provides compassion, hope and support. In her work, she engages people on the streets and when they are ready for services “I make it happen as quickly as I can and I get the barriers out of the way once they are in a position to use their own resources.” Lea provides outreach to anyone living on the streets and case management for those up to the age of 24. Each day Lea and fellow Case Manager Rashida Pearson scout Downtown, Over the Rhine, Camp Washington and surrounding neighborhoods. As they encounter people they offer water, food, blankets and condoms. In her work, Lea’s gift is her patience. When she meets people she doesn’t rush them through the system, instead she takes the time to “develop relationships with people” earning their trust. With a passion for helping people help themselves, Lea believes this is her life’s work—“it’s somewhat of a calling” and she doesn’t think she would be happy doing anything else. Lea sees herself as a positive entity, as part of a community and as a small part of a larger whole. She is someone who tries to contribute to solutions to making things better for the community as a whole. In 2009 she received the Literacy Center West Partnership Award, as a result of her commitment to her work and the strong working relationship she has developed with the center. In the future Lea intends to design and implement re-education programs within the prison system “so people have more to work with when they get out.” This vision was prompted by countless experiences with ex-prisoners on the streets. She cites a recent encounter with a 30-year-old man who had been in prison for 11years. After serving his time “he was released and literally standing on the same corner he got picked up on.” Lea sat down with him and did her best to refer him to community resources, “If he had been given a trade or a college education, he would have had the whole world. If he had received more tools, he could have worked.” Lea desires more “compassion for all people” within our culture. She recognizes that in our society homeless people are seen as unfavorable and “they are objectified and de-humanized.” For Lea, a larger structural issue in our culture is that “there is a disconnect between the chain of command for funding- where the money starts and where the money ends up- because of poor communication.” Each day Lea wakes up and continues her work because she receives considerable gratification from helping people, “I feel like I have a purpose. There is something more important than me past my front door.” Originally from California, Lea moved here for family 8 years ago. She will receive her Bachelors degree in Social Work from the University of Cincinnati in December. She plans to immediately begin work on her Masters in Social Work. When she completes her degrees she will continue to work for Lighthouse, as she believes strongly in their mission. thank you! For the past few months, Elizabeth Schulenberg has donated her time and design to Streetvibes, as Art Director. Elizabeth works as a graphic designer in Montgomery, Ohio. Born and raised in Cincinnati, she earned her Bachelor of Design from the University of Cincinnati’s school of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. She now lives in a 103 year old Covington home with her husband (David), bulldog (Lily, pictured), and cat (Obie). “ We are out exploring whenever possible, whether it is around town on bikes, or camping/backpacking around the country. I love this area and being able to contribute to Streetvibes, and makeCincinnati even greater, is an amazing feeling. I have met a few Streetvibes vendors, and look forward to getting to know more of you! ” intervieW by Catie DargUe Melissa Bennett behind the scenes The best way to describe Melissa is that she is everywhere, a part of everything, all the time; but no one necessarily knows it. “I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life,” she says. What exactly does she do? Well to be honest, everything. Melissa is a Cincinnati native who has worked everywhere from a bank to horse ranches to Target but is now mostly known for her work in the theatre. If you don’t recognize her from the stage it may be because Melissa spends the bulk of her time behind the scenes. A trained actress, she graduated with a degree in theatre from Bowling Green State University. A plethora of careers and opportunities took her to Colorado, Connecticut, Vermont, Las Vegas and even Ireland but she’s always ended back in Cincinnati doing what she’s best at: working in the theatre. She is now in her third season as New Edgecliff Theatre’s Technical Director with a responsibility for building the sets and managing all technical aspects of the plays. Additionally, she teaches at the School for Creative and Performing Arts(SPCA), specializing in stage combat. As a woman teaching stage combat she has developed a number of specialty classes “Fight like a girl” and “Broad swords for broads” taking a physiological and physical look at the way in which women use their bodies differently in a fight and applying that to the stage. “Women move differently than men and they fight differently too.” By studying how women act in a fight, stage combat can be completely altered to fit a character that is fighting and not just be taught to overlying tradition of male combat. In the technical world Melissa notices the subtle way in which certain men try to steer her away from heavy lifting and manual labor, though she is a very able and willing carpenter, and towards more detail orientated tasks. But she doesn’t let this affect her as she knows she’s a capable stage hand, designer, teacher, actress, technical director, etc. Like many creative types she has a degree of dyslexia which can always be a challenge when working on a stage and when teaching students but she says she doesn’t let it affect her work. Inspired by such people as her parents, Aunt Lauri, Gina Kleesattel at SCPA, Michael Schooner at New Edgecliff Theatre and the Showbiz Players, where she got her theatre start, Melissa is a true asset to this community. The enthusiasm to spread her love of theatre and her professional presence are some of her strongest qualities making her a natural leader. However, she is humble in her accomplishments and claims that her proudest moments have been shared with the Film Outside the Lines project where she works with people of varying disabilities to write, act and film movies. “There’s no politics or stress, it’s just enjoyable and it reminds me how fun this can be”. While she admits to wanting a little more security in her job, which the theatre world rarely offers, she says she believes in ‘Karma jobs’ and seems to always land on her feet. She loves theatre, the children she teaches and of course instructing someone to do a proper choke hold on stage. �street life S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 the Homeless Congress Member Biographies Jerry Davis I am currently unemployed but hope to attend Cincinnati State College this coming Fall Season. I am a member of the Garden St Transition Housing Board and believe that I can help in making a difference in our community by being apart of the Homeless Congress. Keith Eutsey As a member of the Homeless Congress I hope to be instrumental in the lives of others who have lived under homeless circumstances and who have suffered its disparagement. I would like to see more affordable housing and job training, as a result of my involvement with the Congress, being created. James Brown As a member of the Homeless Congress I would like to impact others in making changes in their lives. As a formally homeless person I feel my experiences can be useful in directing others through the difficulty, which is a part of that life style. The struggles that we face are hard and often seemingly impossible to burden. Our mindsets are often in disarray and we find ourselves in a dilemma. We resort to self-medicating with drugs or alcohol at time to relieve our sorrows and often find ourselves in more difficulty then we can manage. The displacement of individuals in our neighborhood, resulting from the recent rehabilitation of the buildings, is responsible for much conflict within agencies that otherwise support those in need. In our struggles I have one particular agency that I appreciate and support. The Drop Inn Center is in my opinion the “greatest”, and all other like agencies are the immediate solution to some of the problems which so many people face. It is for this reason that I commit my time and effort as a member of the Homeless Congress. Stephen Gentry Riccardo Taylor....source: amy Willhoite Lee McCoy I have been homeless off and on many times over the years. As of late I have been living in my own apartment, to date it has been 13 month’s. I have had my stint with drug addiction and have been fighting substance abuse for the greater part of my life. Today I am clean and looking for a new start on life. Working with the Homeless Congress I have picked my peeve, which is to see more being done with help in sheltering individuals during the cold months. The idea that a person is at least 75% water and that water freezes at 32 degrees puts a lot of people at risk. I believe that working with the congress in trying to convince the city and county authorities to create a winter shelter plan is an important obligation, and therefore I that being a part of the congress is a great way for me to have some influence. March Madness What we are losing in Over the Rhine lee MCCoy riCCarDo taylor The Homeless Congress of Cincinnati was created in January 2011, its mission, to become a voice for those who have the least in the way of a voice in our community. As an entity striving to work in the community for the purpose of change, the members of the Homeless Congress wishes to introduce themselves too the community as a whole. Below are listed the Bio’s of our current members. We would hope that our Streetvibes readers take note of their participation in community building and improvement as we engage in the revamping of our status as viable members of the community. As listed, the following Congress members are the initial enrollment members and the core of what we feel will be a lasting and productive resource for our homeless population. Our members have given a short bio of whom they are and what they would like to accomplish as members of the Homeless Congress. 5 I am a native Cincinnatian and product of the Cincinnati Public Schools with three years of college. I have had a varied career in the service and production industries. I am currently disabled and have found meaningful and fulfilling satisfaction through Homeless Advocacy because of a volunteer position at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and membership in the Homeless Congress. Due to the circumstance, which I would suggest goes with the territory; I find that it is necessary to install the Bio’s from our members in segments. Our members have very full lives for the most part, and given that circumstance they are usually quite busy and coupled with the provision of space bios of the rest of our membership will be posted in future editions. The Homeless Congress is made up of individuals who for the most part are struggling with poverty issues and find themselves under pressure financially and the Homeless Coalition offers some relief for that. It is therefore that some of our Congress members are also involved with the coalition through their participation with the Streetvibes paper program; their involvement with the propagation of issues, which affect those most at risk due to poverty, is plus for membership with the congress. It’s that time of the year again and 65 teams are scrambling to see who going to be number one. The fans will be cheering, some may be crying but with the way this game is played it won’t be a basketball team that winds up the winner. It will undoubtedly be the bookies. This time of year seems to make people do crazy things…like we got a little spring in the air to bring out the madness in us all. That said, let’s another walk through my neighborhood. And I guess I should say that my hood is no longer my hoodwith the renovation of Washington Park. We are watching all of this construction to the tune of 47 million dollars, but the when I look at the park I just trees being dug up. 47 million can’t replace those…to me they are priceless. And while we’reon the subject of digging up priceless things let’s just call to light that they dug up people buried in my hood, they moved them or put them in a new hole in the earth all together. I always thought it was sacrilegious to disturb the final resting place of someone who has passed on, but apparently 47 million dollars and the greedy promise of more revenue must make all spiritual guidance go out the window. I suppose if you are 3CDC you can pretty much get with anything, right? The scariest part of all is watching groups like City Gospel Mission get bumped out of the community. And now because of it close location to The Performing Arts School; I fear the writing is on the wall for the Drop Inn Center. Whatever happened to love thy neighbor? I guess greed really will make that moral compass and spiritual guidance dissipate. I am sorry 3CDC but just because a person is down on their luck doesn’t make them a nuisance, they are still human. You came into Over the Rhine on a mission of greed. You have taken buildings and made them into your fancy ‘flats’. Your fancy condos that no one who has lived here their whole life could afford. And you mean to tell us you aren’t forcing people out of this community? These fancy apartments will likely run $800 to $900 a month for a one bedroom. Bear in mind, one of these buildings I am referring to used to rent a one bedroom for $200 a month. It’s been my experience that you come upon your real estate ventures in a shady way like telling a landlord that in order for them to purchase the building they must evict or relocate the tenants already there. You don’t even pretend to give people a chance. That’s cold. I’m pretty sure it is all about the Benjaminsfor you people. You have your casino coming in and the bigger picture is becoming clear for Cincinnati. You can just take a look at Vine Street and see that this isn’t Over the Rhine anymore. It is also clear that they will do anything they can to move us out…but why? So the rich can get richer by saving gas money getting to and from their Downtown work places? And don’t get me wrong, with the price of gas I totally understand that argument but really, what happens to the rest of us? What happens to the people who gas isn’t a problem for because they don’t have a car to put it in? And now I hear they are going to have to pay a Guard to patrol Washington Park. Why is that, so you can keep certain people out? It just doesn’t sound right to me. I have never heard of a public park with an armed guard. What’s more is that we could be losing some of the oldest social service agencies, essentially fixtures in Over the Rhine for nearly a century. These organizations literally put food in the mouths of the community’s homeless and poor. I know that when I was homeless I was damn glad to 6:15 because I knew that I could have a hot meal and then spiritual services following that fed my soul and enriched my spirit. When you homeless and down on your luck, sometimes that spirituality is all you need to pick your chin up and go through another day. You see the one thing about Over the Rhine is that as a community, we cared about each other. You can hardly name another place in the tri state that will feed those in need, clothe those in need, or give you a shower when you need it.Places like The Free Store, Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services, The Salvation Army…these places are priceless without greed. I know God will look after His own, but I for one will truly miss the Gospel Mission. I wish them all the blessings in the new move but I know they will be greatly missed in Over the Rhine. �6 Column StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 san francisco Homelessness A look at the same issue by the Bay JiM lUken Ahh. San Francisco…the romantic City by the Bay. I spent two weeks there in mid-February, and like so Tony Bennett (and many others), I left my heart there. The biggest part of my heart went out to the city’s homeless population, which is one of the largest in the country. One might think that homelessness is homelessness no matter where it occurs. But what I observed in San Francisco had a very different look and feel to it than it does here in Cincinnati. While the city has twice our population, there are many more homeless people there than here, and these homeless are quite visible, almost everywhere throughout the cosmopolitan city. Surprisingly to me, most of the homeless are white and in their 40s and 50s. Many push shopping carts around wherein they store their belongings. I saw several men with wheel chairs hooked up to their carts and small bicycles strapped on top. In the famous “Haight/Asbury” neighborhood, the homeless population is mostly young and white kids from all over the country. Many of these—I was told— are runaways. Often they are unwelcome in their family homes, by reason of their LGBT identities. The accepted (politically-correct) name for them is “queer kids.” Call it a form of reverse prejudice, but I had problems dealing with healthy looking white kids panhandling all over town. There are many reasons for the high numbers of homeless in SF. The city is a kind of magnet, due to its (relatively) warm weather all year long, and its massive transit system, and perhaps mostly due to its being in a traditionally “liberal” city in a state (California) that is famous for its free-wheeling lifestyle. Although San Francisco is technically in Northern California, its climate borders on temperate. The Pacific Ocean currents bring generally mild temperatures. One evening there was a smattering of snow. After leaving a bar, I gathered a small snowball from the windshield of a car. My buddy was amazed, because snow almost never happens there. Many days the temperature was in the low sixties, with the sky a postcard blue. What this means is that chronically homeless people (95% male) can sleep outside all year long without endangering their lives. The huge finger of Golden Gate Park runs four miles from the ocean to the heart of the city, incredibly green and wonderful to walk in. On several of my walks, I followed narrow paths through the grass, only to find a homeless encampment tucked away, tarp covered, 4’X 6’, a shopping cart often holding up one end of the tarp. My buddy told me that there are men who have lived out in the park for years and years. San Francisco’s equivalent to Over the Rhine is called the “Tenderloin District,” nestled downtown very close to the major business district. Imagine OTR situated between Central Parkway and the library. There, on Turk Street, I found the office of the “Coalition on Homelessness” which publishes of the newspaper, called “Street Sheet” You press an intercom button and someone rings you in. Then you climb a long flight of shabbily carpeted stairs to the offices. According to Bob Offer-Westort, the editor of Street Sheet, people flock to San Francisco in the hope of getting a better shake from the city’s support network. He says they are mistaken in this belief, describing the city laws and authorities as “punitive.” Perhaps “punitive” can be best illustrated by referring to the infamous “Sit/lie” law which was enacted this past November. Bob says that their “Coalition on Homelessness” campaigned vigorously against the law, which empowers the police to arrest/harass homeless people for sitting on (or sleeping on)the pavement. There have already been two demonstrations against the law since its passage. Fortunately, the law is not currently being enforced, although Bob says that may change with the installation of a new police chief in March. No doubt the homeless population is anxious about enforcement. I saw hundreds of people all over town sitting on curbs and sidewalks. And at night, I would walk around the homeless sleeping under blankets in doorways and alcoves. I was pleased to hear Editor Bob Offer-Westort praise our own newspaper during my interview with him. to see that Benni was reading my recent story on the “Shooting at Tucker’s” in Streetvibes, which is mailed to SF’s homeless coalition office each month. Benni described homelessness in his home town as “a bad situation. And it ain’t getting any better.” On Market Street, the main downtown artery, I walked up to a man pushing a shopping cart. The temperature was in the low forties that day. The first thing I noticed was that he was wearing flip flops with no socks. Handing him a dollar, I asked if I could interview him for Streetvibes. He said, “Sure.” His name was Terry Adale, white, age 56. Tall, thin Under his hooded sweatshirt, I could see that Terry was movie-star handsome, with clear blue eyes. He chewed on butt of a cigarette that hung from his lower lip. He had been out on the streets of San Francisco for twenty years now, a transplant from Chicago. He said he had had a typical childhood there, had done well at school, and had even done some college work. “When I lost my job there, I decided that—if I was going to be homeless—there were better places to be than Chicago.” I was surprised to learn that he never sleeps in any of the city’s shelters. [There are 1100 beds in the SF shelter system]. He said he usually slept in the same doorway several blocks east on Market Street. He never begs, and supports himself by recycling. He said he can generally make $10 or more each day. “Food is easy to find,” he said. “You mean, like, at soup kitchens?” I asked. “No, I mean on the street, in trash receptacles. You wouldn’t believe some of the food people throw away in this city.” When I inquired about the flip flops, he complained that he had gone to the hospital recently and they had taken some of his clothes, including his shoes and socks Sharon Randle Pamela gerard He described Streetvibes as among the “first tier” of homeless newspapers. Street Sheet prints 16,000 (12 page) newspapers in San Francisco, compared to Streetvibes’ 3,500 (16 page). They have around 230 vendors (40 regulars) compared to our 35 vendors. Bob expressed envy at the fact that Streetvibes vendors now wear vests. His San Francisco vendors are not even provided with identification badges. As I left the editor’s office, I met the Street Sheet circulation manager, Benni Clyburn, who works with the vendors. I looked down on his desk, and was amazed without ever returning them. “Didn’t you ask about them?” “I guess I should have,” he responded. He said he was “relatively” satisfied with his style of street life. “The lottery is my principle means of hope,” he ventured. I asked Terry if he had anything to say to our readers in Cincinnati. “I urge people to be friendly and healthy, as well as they are able.” Then he padded off in his flip flops. �S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 Column 7 the struggle for Doing good JaMes DeMario broWn My name is James DeMarioBrown. I am one of the members of the Homeless Congress. I’m trying to impact the lives of those who are homeless in our community. From personal experience, I know being homeless is hard. It is truly an everyday struggle just to meet basic needs and it is so hard to keep the right mind set while doing so. Some people give up, fall into drugs and alcohol for comfort when nobody else is there to rely on. This I know, and my message is that there is a way out. One of the best resources in the community by far is The Drop Inn Center. It is a place where you feel comfort and supported in your hardest of times. Lately, with the closing and relocation of The City Gospel Missionit has me wondering if 3CDC’s development in Over the Rhine has just put the writing on the wall for The Drop Inn Center. Where will all these people who are genuinely helped by The Drop, I wonder where they will go, who will they turn to for help? This kind of desperation can only breed more outrage and violence. Pushing the people out is not the answer. The people in this community need a boost, not an eviction notice. Where’s our bail out? Where is our development? Where are our jobs? We need the support of others. We need resources like The Drop Inn Center. With the recently formed Homeless Congress, we intend to work on the issues. Ultimately, we hope to get in front of Cincinnati’s City Council because right now it seems like there is no one there playing on our team. My struggle for doing good continues and yours should too. Speak out whenever you can, help whoever you can, and maybe together we can get our voices heard. �local 8 StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 fighting Poverty: the impact and future of the ameriCorps Program Current Legislation betH griffitH-nieMann Faces without Places AmeriCorps VISTA AmeriCorps members make a yearlong, full-time commitment to serve non-profits or public agencies, while living in poverty themselves, but prosed budget cuts are threatening this program. On February 19th, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would completely eliminate AmeriCorps and all other service programs supported through the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). The House Appropriations Committee compiled a Continuing resolution totaling $4 billion dollars in cuts over two weeks, keeping the government operating, preceding a vote on the budget cuts in the Senate, until a long term bill can be agreed upon. The Senate is set to vote on the issue on March 18th; however, it seems likely that the budget will not be resolved and that the current fiscal year may function with a series of continuing resolutions until the end of the fiscal year in September. It is unclear what the final outcome will be for AmeriCorps and CNCS. Current Impacts AmeriCorps is comprised of AmeriCorps State & National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) totaling over 75,000 individuals each year who pledge to serve their country through national service. AmeriCorps is one of many organizations that receive funding from CNCS; other organizations include Senior Corps, Learn and Serve America, Nonprofit Capacity Building Program, the Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund. All of the programs provide an outlet to serve the nation for over 1.5 million individuals across the nation. AmeriCorps members work hard to serve the needs of the poor, help create lasting change, lead and manage volunteer projects, and help others obtain education, as well as many other services that impact their community. In our country’s time of economic need, some explain their service is even more vital. “I can’t think of a bigger bang for our government’s buck. I hope the cuts don’t fall there [on AmeriCorps]” explains Diana McVey Wood of the American Red Cross. My first rally Musings of an outsider looking in Catie DargUe My mom and dad were hippies. There’s no better way to describe them. In fact, growing up, all of my friend’s parents were hippies, we just never really thought of them like that- or if we did it was in a past life, somewhere off before we were born. I’ve never seen my parents protest or rally for something they believe in, but it seems like the sort of thing they would do. Fist in the air, yelling at “the Man” – it just seems appropriate Barbara Wallace of UC Clermont states that AmeriCorps members, “provide an invaluable service to our organization; they are highly educated, skilled professionals.” The AmeriCorps program allows non-profits and government agencies to focus on their services to clients rather than staffing specific programs. By having an AmeriCorps member working at the non-profit, the budget is opened and money can be provided to other parts of the organization because CNCS provides a living stipend (in lieu of salary) to the AmeriCorps member. There is no cost to the non-profit organization. Local Impacts There are over 1,400 AmeriCorps members working to better their communities through service in Ohio. These members are working to meet educational, environmental, health and economic needs of the state. AmeriCorps VISTAS work to increase the capacity of non-profits by recruiting volunteers, fund raising, expanding the services provided, as well as creating sustainable programs. Tracy Power, President of Faces without Places, a Greater Cincinnati non-profit that My first rally source: Catie Dargue works to raise awareness and funds for children and youth experiencing homelessness explains how their Future Impacts AmeriCorps VISTA has helped their organization. The impact of an AmeriCorps member’s service outlives “Because the Faces without Places Board of Trustees is volunteer based, our VISTA’s efforts have been invaluable that of an individual’s time within AmeriCorps. A 2008 study by CNCS found that AmeriCorps Alumni are to our organization, which is dedicated to removing the barriers to education for children and youth experiencing more engaged in their community and are more likely to continue a life of public service. The report explains, homelessness. It is essential to maintain our VISTA “Not only does AmeriCorps provide individuals with in order to continue promoting the mission of Faces opportunities to help address their communities’ most without Places in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern pressing needs, but the program also spurs individuals to Kentucky area. As the critical need for awareness, be agents of positive change in their communities long services, advocacy and funding have increased due to the after their AmeriCorps service”. economic instability facing many families; our VISTA Shelley Werner, an AmeriCorps Alum explains that has made great strides by engaging a constituency of donors and community supporters. Our VISTA has been even now, years after her service, that she “cannot see the ‘good life’ without volunteering; it an essential part of my very successful with her efforts to educate stakeholders life after AmeriCorps.” and community interest groups about the plight of the The life of an AmeriCorps member is far from ‘homeless child’ by visiting board rooms, classrooms, glamorous, as members live and work in poverty; but evening meetings, and church groups. Building capacity payment is not the goal or the reward for AmeriCorps while educating the general public about the issues and members; serving their community and country is long-term impact to the community as a whole is a payment enough. vital component of the work our VISTA has dedicated time, resources and energy. Discontinuing the national Voice your opinion, contact your representatives: AmeriCorps program and losing our VISTA will impede Sherrod Brown (Senate) (202) 224-2315 efforts for a ‘call to action’ in the Greater Cincinnati area Rob Portman (Senate) (202) 224-3353 that is bringing this devastating issue to the forefront.” Steve Chabot (House, District 1) (202) 225-2216 Jean Schmidt (House, District 2) (202) 225-3164 Michael Turner (House, District 3) (202) 225-6465 for my parents. For me, it’s never been something I’ve done, but something I’ve always felt compelled to do. It must be in my blood and that’s why in 1999 and later in 2001 when riots in Seattle broke out I felt compelled to ‘join the people’. It was an overwhelming sense that I needed to have my voice heard and my presence felt to send support to my fellow protestors. I never did get a chance to go to Seattle during that time and until Friday February 25th I had never been to a rally. On February 25th the Coalition for the Homeless led the people in a rally in front of 3DCD’s offices in Over-the-Rhine to have our community voice heard. The mission: to make people aware of 3CDC’s resistance to work with the community on a number of issues surrounding their recent ‘improvements’to Washington Park Having lived in London where it seemed like there is a protest weekly or perhaps being inspired by the recent events taking place in Egypt and Wisconsin, I felt in the mood to rally. It was a great turn-out with 40-50 people in attendance. Media was poised with cameras and microphones while the police and 3CDC looked on in the background. It was everything I imagined. Chanting in chorus in support of the common belief See Rally Pg. 9 Vanessa Sparks Speaks Out for Washington Park Photo by: Catie Dargue �local S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 marketing ploys designated to distract the public’s attention from the real issues and the amount of hurt they are causing in Over-the-Rhine simply by turning their backs on the very vibrant yet impoverished culture that already inhabits this neighborhood. This rally, this coming together of people of all racial and financial backgrounds, was a truly beautiful and moving experience. To fight for simple rights like a place for the people “We want to see development, but we don’t want to be pushed out.”—Nannie Hinkston (1995) 1. We want neighborhoods where all citizens are respected and appreciated for who they are. We don’t want to be overpowered by corporate interests. We believe healthy neighborhoods have real democratic decision-making power. We believe empathy and the quest for understanding are core values for social life. We live in a time marked by extremes and suffering, where city and corporate practices too often reduce human beings to deficits and end up punishing, demonizing, criminalizing, and making people disappear. 2. We want full employment for our people with meaningful jobs and livable wages. Millions upon millions of public and private dollars are being invested in Cincinnati’s urban neighborhoods, resulting in new jobs. A reasonable percentage of these jobs must come to local residents. 3. We want policies, legislation, and development projects to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. We believe that wealth and power are now mobilized to keep our most vulnerable citizens at arm’s length, and not for the purposes of ensuring basic human rights. Too many city policies treat these excluded citizens as threats and take strides to: * criminalize panhandlers and people who are homeless; * push them into the prison-industrial complex; * remove them from sight and displace the Drop Inn Center (see point #6 below); * enact police sweeps and invasive surveillance; * regulate public spaces (no Streetvibes distributors on Fountain Square); * impose a gentrified culture on the marginalized. Under this system those citizens among us made most vulnerable must fend for themselves. 4. We want the renovation of Washington Park to welcome all citizens and to be maintained as a genuine public space. The current plan demolishes the deep-water pool and basketball court—recreational facilities that neighborhood people wanted to keep. Who is the park for, exactly? We don’t want public spaces turned into private assets. 5. We want the assault on Metropole residents to stop. Over the last 20 years, downtown Cincinnati has lost a significant number of afforda able housing units. We want those units restored. The Metropole has 224 such units. Metropole residents have put up a valiant effort to save their homes. If relocation must occur, we demand residents be relocated in the downtown core—in their own neighborhood—and receive full relocation benefits. construction site soon to house a parking lot and ‘Dog park’. Broken promises and a cold shoulder to the community have provoked us to rally. My first rally was a short one, a productive one, a powerful one. My first rally was one that my aging hippy parents would be proud of to know that, “We the people” have not lost our voice to a corporate sold out America. My first rally was and eye opener and by no means will my first rally be my last. 6. We want the assault on the Drop Inn Center to immediately stop. The City/3CDC alliance continues to pressure the Drop Inn Center to relocate out of the neighborhood. This pressure puts the city in violation of its own Over-the-Rhine Comprehensive Plan (2002) to protect all current residents from displacement. Our homeless brothers and sisters have a right to be fully integrated into our neighborhoods and not to be used as pawns by development schemes. 7. We want commercial development that serves existing neighborhood residents. Mixed-income neighborhoods need to have shopping opportunities for all income levels. In neighborhoods like Over-the-Rhine, for example, not all new commercial development should cater to people with higher incomes. This is not an argument against high-end boutiques and bars, but a challenge to attract neighborhood-serving businesses to meet the needs of lower-income residents as well. rm People�s Platform for Equality and Justice of the neighborhood to use the bathroom with dignity, despite what 3CDC claim about there not being the space, location or wanting to maintain such a space, is our right. It’s our right to ask why none of the supposed 900 jobs are easily accessible to the people in this neighborhood who need them most. We chant, “Washington Park is the people’s park, not just your park”. We fight for the last open park in this area which now has been reduced to a, treeless, fenced off 8. We want our urban core neighborhoods to be racially and economically integrated with housing options affordable to all income levels. When low- to moderate-income areas experience upper-income development, benefits to the poor are few. In fact, often low-income individuals are displaced. The market alone does not create economic mix. We want to see a greater multiplicity of housing options that can serve lower-income people such as cooperatives, multi-generational housing, renter equity, housing for the elderly, shared-function housing, and land trusts. fo that “We the people” of OTR will not silently sit by and watch as our park slowly disappears. One of my favorite moments was when a local passer-by on bike stopped to see what all the action was about and ended up staying for about 10 minutes to help support the cause. People left and right seemed moved by our cause, cars honked and we said our piece. The speakers were elegant and to the point; an overall great success. As tensions have grown, 3CDC has made several attempts to appear as if they support “the little guy” by sponsoring such events as the Cinciditarod, which benefited the Freestore Foodbank and helping to finance the completion of the Jimmy Heath House, which helps homeless individuals recover from addiction by providing them with a safe home and supportive environment. To me these resemble clever 9. We want an auditing system in place to make sure that the mixture of household incomes called for by participatory neighborhood plans are on track. New upscale development is picking up in Over-the-Rhine, West End, Lower Price Hill, and Walnut Hills. The market left to its own devices will not produce balance. Low- and moderate-income housing needs to be diligently secured and protected with incentives, policies, and legislation. at Continued from Pg. 8 10. We want “Shared Equity.” As neighborhood developments attract more and more investment, both private and public, an enormous hike in property value will likely result. We want an innovative system that uses that increased property value to benefit low-income residents and the non-profits in our neighborhoods. Pl My first rally 9 We need new narratives in Cincinnati about how life can be lived differently, supported by values of empathy, community, solidarity, and inclusivity. We remain steadfast that conversations across borders are life-transforming. Social change happens when the included come to see and truly understand the excluded, when the haves come to understand the have-nots, and when the centers of power come to understand the margins. Change occurs when those with privilege come to see and understand those who are disadvantaged, to walk with us, and to learn from us, because when this happens, power is not coercive. Rather, power is used to mutually benefit everyone. www.cincihomeless.org Call 513.716.7455 �10 national news StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 no Quiet old age for south africa’s grannies Grannies are indispensable in South Africa. They may have been hoping for a restful old age, but the AIDS epidemic has seen them taking on motherhood for a second time, caring for grandchildren whose parents have died of the disease. elles van gelDer Despite her aching joints, 76-year-old Thandiwe Matzinga moves swiftly through the small corrugated iron home she now shares with three of her grandchildren: twin boys (15) and a seven-year-old girl whose mothers died of AIDS. Matzinga supports them and herself on government grants of 300 euro per month. Matzinga raised nine kids of her own, three of whom have died of AIDS. She’s one of South Africa’s many grannies who care for their grandchildren. South Africa has been hit hard by the HIV/Aids pandemic; 5.5 million people, around 18 percent of its population are infected. According to UN figures for 2007, there are 1.4 million aids orphans in the country, 64 percent of them being raised by their grandparents, usually single grannies. In a community centre near her home in the township Khayelitsha outside Cape Town, Matzinga takes her place in a circle of wrinkled faces. Talking in the Xhosa language, the women share stories about how it has been for them to lose their children. They are part of the organization Grannies Against Poverty and AIDS (GAPA) that has around 500 members. All these ladies thought their kids would take care of them when they would be old, but instead the tables have turned. “A lot of these grannies have five to ten mouths to feed from their old age pension,” says Vivienne Budaza, director of the organisation. “Their kids are dying like flies,” she sighs. Granny Nothemba Mdaka in front of her small home in the township Khayelitsha, near Cape Town. She has lost two children to HIV/AIDS and a third one is dying. Mdaka raised five grandchildren and is now raising five great grandchildren. source: elles van gelder The grannies get together regularly in the GAPA offices for mutual support; there they discuss their burdens and the disease that is destroying their families. “The grandmothers know that you contract HIV/Aids via sex”, says Mrs Budaza. “But there are still myths and misunderstandings. A lot of grannies for example, don’t understand that there are kids who are HIV-positive. How can they have the disease if they never had sex? Granny Thandiwe Matzinga together with the three of her grandchildren she takes care of in her shack in a township near Cape Town. She’s one of South Africa’s many grannies who care for their grandchildren. source: elles van gelder We then need to explain that a kid can contract the virus while in the womb.” It’s both a social as well as a financial struggle for the grannies to make ends meet. HIV/Aids is still stigmatized in South Africa. “When my neighbors heard that kids of mine died of the disease, they didn’t dare to use the same communal toilet as me,” Matzinga says. But slowly, she feels, this is changing. “More and more families around me are hit by HIV/Aids. There are more and more grannies in the same situation asking for my help.” Another granny taking care of lots of children is 71-year-old Nothemba Mdaka. But her small home is temporarily quiet. She has sent her grandkids and great grandkids away because one of her daughters is dying of HIV/Aids in the back bedroom. She doesn’t want the children to see the suffering. It is her third daughter who will die of the disease. Mdaka raised five grandchildren and is now raising five great grandchildren while her grandchildren are looking for work. Bringing up teenagers has been difficult for her. “A lot of youngsters in the townships use alcohol and drugs and there is a lot of crime,” says Budaza of GAPA. “And the number of teenage pregnancies is so high.” One of Mdaka’s grandchildren had her first child when she was 15. She is 20 now and has three kids. “She says she wants to have healthy children before she gets HIVpositive,” says Mdaka. At first she didn’t dare talk to her grandchildren about sex, but now she even hands out condoms. “We need to be open about this. Otherwise this killing disease will never stop.” © www.streetnewsservice.org The Street News Service (SNS) is an innovative online news agency that brings together the best of street paper journalism from around the world. INSP also works with media partners Reuters and Inter Press Service (IPS) who support the Street News Service by providing supplemental news features and photographs. �national news S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 11 Women and Human rights laUra osborne-Coffey Amnesty International celebrates Women’s Rights day on March 8thannually. Amnesty members worldwide often celebrate by activities such as rallies, letter writing activities, and demonstrations for women’s rights worldwide. When people today think of women and human rights, they often think of historical figures such as Dorothy Day, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Or perhaps they think of more recent prominent women – Wilma Mankiller, past chief of the Cherokee tribe. Winnie Mandela, wife of Nelson Mandela. Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King, who had key roles in the Civil Rights battle. Amnesty works on behalf of women’s rights worldwide, and has called for the United States to become signatory to CEDAW (Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination AgainstWomen), along with the rest of the western world. Amnesty also has a campaign to ‘End Maternal Mortality’ as a part of their current ‘Demand Dignity!’ campaign. Amnesty International knows that there are currently many women worldwide who carry the strength and dignity of their beliefs and their work with them on a daily basis, as they work towards their own goals – and the goals of their family and their community. Some of these women are people whom Amnesty members have worked for and are now released; some are currently in prison and are a focus of ongoinghuman rights work. These women are featured below: Successes: Roxana Saberi, Iran Ma Khin Khin Leh, Burma After serving nearly 10 years of a life sentence in Myanmar (Burma), prisoner of conscience and long-time AIUSA priority case Ma Khin Khin Leh was also freed in 2009. Ma Khin Khin Leh is a school teacher and young mother, who served a life sentence because her husband helped plan a demonstration to be held in Bago on July 19, 1999, to show support for the National League for Democracy (NLD), a pro-democracy political party that sought to counter the military junta that had reigned over Myanmar since 1962. Days before the demonstrations were to take place, authorities took action to halt it. Failing to find her husband, security agents arrested Ma Khin Khin Leh and the couple’s three-year-old daughter instead. Although her daughter was released after spending five days in detention, Ma Khin Khin Leh - then age 33 - was eventually transferred to Insein Prison. In December 1999, the Insein Special Court sentenced her to life imprisonment under vaguely-worded security legislation. Even by the normally harsh standards of “justice” meted out by Myanmar’s military government, the life sentence given to Ma Khin Khin Leh was extreme. Mah Khin Khin Le was the AIUSA Midwest Region’s Special Focus Case since 2005 Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma Human rights activists in Cincinnati and worldwide were thrilled and grateful for the release on November 13, 2010 of Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar (Burma)! The government released her after seven and a half years of house arrest. Aung San was the nationally elected leader of Burmain 1989, and has been under house arrest by the Burmese government for most of the time since then. Amnesty volunteers worldwide worked on her a Amnesty was happy to report in 2009 that American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi was freed from prison in Iran! Roxana had originally been given an eight year prison sentence on trumped up charges of “espionage,” following a brief closed-door trial in Tehran. Amnesty International had issued an urgent action calling for her release. When an urgent action is posted by Amnesty on its website, members worldwide take immediate letter writing action. Over 26,000 messages were sent by Amnesty activists to the Iranian government demanding her release. S Y WHAT?! case many times, the most recent being over the last seven years. James Roberts, Amnesty international Co-group chair for Myanmar stated up on her release: “Will she re-form the National League for Democracy? Will she continue to advocate for democracy? Will her release be for good this time, or will the government find another reason for imprisoning her yet again? Only time will tell.” What is known is that there are over 2,200 other political prisoners who are still behind bars in China. IMPRISONED: The women discussed below have been arrested or detained as recently as last week. One has been an Amnesty concern for years and the other only recently arrested, both are in China; and WOZA has been a subject of harassment in Zimbabwe for years. WOZA, Zimbabwe Women of Zimbabwe Arise marching in Harare, Zimbabwe “WOZA” On March 1st, 2011, members of civil rights organization WOZA were targeted and arrested by police in Zimbabwe. Seven members of WOZA and MOZA (Men of Zimbabwe Arise) were arrested at their own homes. One of the women arrested was a nursing mother who has been denied access to her child. When visited by their family, several of those arrested indicated they were subjected to beatings on the soles of their feet. This is a torture method called ‘falanga’ and is a common instrument in the torture arsenal of Zimbabwe police. Fourteen more women were arrested on March 2nd. Four are WOZA members, the other 10 are not. They were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. The wrong place was a meeting to contribute $1 to a burial society fund. At this time, not all of these women are accounted for as they have been taken to several different police stations. According to WOZA “police officers, some in full riot gear, visited the homes of another 6 members but they were not home.” Mao Hengfeng, China Activists worldwide were originally pleased to hear of the release of Mao Hengfeng, a Shanghai-based human rights defender. She was released from Re-education Through Labor (RTL) on medical parole on 22 February 2011, as she had suffered from the effects of torture while imprisoned since March 2010. She has high blood pressure and had evidence of bleeding in her brain, due to torture. The relief was short-lived however, as on February 24 she was sent back to RTL on the grounds of having violated the terms for medical parole. According to her husband, Shanghai Yangpu district police came to their house on 24 February 2011 and said they wanted to talk with Mao Hengfeng, and she was informed by the police that she had committed activities which violated the terms of her medical parole, andwas being sent back to RTL. Mao was not allowed to change her clothes or pack anything she needed before being taken away. She is again at risk of torture. Since 2004, Mao Hengfeng has been repeatedly detained for her work defending women’s reproductive rights and victims of forced evictions, and her support of human rights defenders. Often her family has not been allowed to visit her and they have since found out that it was at these times that she has been tortured. The human rights situation around the world continues to change rapidly. One constant is Amnesty’s 50 year commitment to upholding human rights. Jenni Williams of WOZA said this about Amnesty: “I am alive today after 33 arrests because members of Amnesty International sent … text messages, they phoned;they faxed the Zimbabwe Republic police. They made a huge difference. It caused those police to say – let me not torture them today, let me not rape them today, let me not beat them today because they have friends in Boston.” In Honor Of Women’s History Month “The work of the political activist inevitably involves a certain tension between the requirement that position be taken on current issues as they arise and the desire that one's contributions will somehow survive the ravages of time. ” -Angela Davis, radical black activist. educator & philosopher �interest 12 StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 Mojo the great b. Clifton bUrke “There might be stronger dogs and faster dogs in the world, and many of these will have decent ball skills themselves, but to find another dog with the combination that Mojo possessed is damn-near impossible. That dog could play.” Not an ordinary dog, Mojo had the strength of many men and could crash through drywall for a tennis ball. In his prime, he was a beast with a hemi V8/400 horsepower engine. His playing weight was around 88 pounds, but he could hang with the fastest dogs on the block no matter what the size. Obstacles? Over or through them. Objection? The ball. Nothing stopped him and his career lasted a solid eight years or so of high-caliber play and an unmatched tenacity to make catches. He is, without question, the greatest I’ve ever seen and my all-time favorite. He was a German Shepardrottweiler puppy, six-weeks old, on the east side of town and he was handed to me by a man I had never met before or since. The man wanted him to go to a good home and I gave him my word. Once Mojo grew out of his fluffy, awkward puppiness, he almost right away became the legend we remember him as today. The routine trips to the park weren’t much of an option for me. A day without going meant a day of him blasting around the apartment being too big and too excited to ignore. So we went. Every day for years and years and years. There he turned his haunches into muscly pistons, his front legs into those of a race horse’s, and would thrash the turf between himself and the ball with supernatural force. Our areas quickly became either swampy mud islands or clouds of dust from his powerful running style. And, during his athletic peak, I could never wear him out. Never. I could throw the ball until my arm fell off and he would be back with it at my feet smiling up at me with his obscenely large tongue, waiting for the next throw. He was never a frisbee dog; he didn’t have the patience to wait around for it to land. And he would chase the kong, but didn’t like the unpredictable bounces it took—even though I did. The tennis ball was his obsession and he went through hundreds of them. The sport was that I throw it and he’d catch it on a bounce. For a long time I couldn’t over throw him, he was a bullet. A large black bullet. It wasn’t just at the park either; Mojo also had an indoor finesse game that he constantly tricked human beings into playing. His placement on people’s laps, on armrests, on the very ledge of an end table, was most impressive. Once the ball had been expertly placed, the human would be distracted by conversation or television or whatever and lightly toss the ball to Mojo. He was a master at getting his way in this regard. He tricked me a million times or more. There were a couple of ways he played indoor. If it were a close range toss right at him he would snatch it with no problem. In fact, you could put a little heat on your throw, and release it as close as a foot from his face, and he would envelop the ball like a first-baseman’s mitt. If it were a lob intended to lead him into a certain direction, that too was no problem, as he could make over the shoulder snags, shoe-string catches and leaping grabs (but only when he had to). He was respectful of wires and electric fans but disregarded everything else around him. Many, many spilled drinks and other disasters came about because of Mojo’s recklessness, but it was part of who he was and I rarely stopped him. If the game was a kicking one, he showed excellent blocking technique by moving his broad chest low to the ground and spreading his legs out wide. He was especially good at using his paws to deflect kicks attempted to go past him. I also enjoyed watching him roll the ball around on the ground for a while with his paw; smash the balls into the floor until it squirted out and then collect it on the backspin he anticipated. It reminded me of a skateboard trick, or spinning a basketball on your finger—pointless, but cool. Eventually, he slowed down some in the twilight of his life, taking things easier but never giving up all the way. Up to the very end, he played ball at the park and still loved it. There might be stronger dogs and faster dogs in the world, and many of these will have decent ball skills themselves, but to find another dog with the combination that Mojo possessed is damn-near impossible. That dog could play. The best of all time. He stays in my heart. The Sandwich Man Jeffery Hass by: JiMMie giPson Jeffery Hass has been giving back to the community for years. He doesn’t volunteer at a local shelter or work for a nonprofit, he gives back in the simplest but most appreciated way; by bringing vending machine sandwiches, cakes, pops, and milks down to the Lord Gym, Lord Pantry, Washington Park, and The Drop Inn Center. He faithfully does this every day, gathering food from local vending machines and bringing them down into the community and simply handing them out to those who need it. And those who need it, well they will be there…waiting patiently for their treats. It is truly heartwarming to see the love and genuine gratitude on their faces when The Sandwich Man arrives. This is a blessing in our community that he will do this day after day and year after year. So I would like to salute The Sandwich Man. Please don’t stop giving your time and generosityto the community. What you do is incredible and we LOVE you for it. You remind me of the Candy Man, only better. MY ODE TO THE SANDWICH MAN Who can make you happy? And fill your tummy too? The Sandwich Man can Who? The Sandwich Man can Cause he mixes it with love, So everyone can be full Yeah, the Sandwich Man Can �S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 story & Poetry Corner 13 i am eve and Woman for you Do i Cry! aUtHor: elisa Hill “Feel it falling off like clothing. Taste it rolling on your tongue. See the lights above you glowing. Oh and breathe them deep into your lungs. It was always simple, not hidden hard. You've been pulling at the strings, Playing puppeteer for kings. And you've had enough. But the search ends here, where the night is totally clear. And your heart is fierce, so now you finally know, That you control where you go. You can steer. Taken from His rib, I am Eve! Because I was the first to eat the apple, I am forever in sin, diseased. I give birth in pain and fire. I am beaten when ever men desire. I am stone when he needs a wall to cry. I am alone in this world and to kneel is to survive. I am Eve, the first of many. I am the one who disobeyed. You should not suffer for the mistakes I have made. I am Eve, queen to Adams throne. I am the one to whom, they all should throw stones. I am Eve unto each new day. I am Eve and my soul craves the shade. You should have peace and tranquility to guide your way home. With honor and wisdom to know that you women are not alone. I accept my faults to which I lie. I accept my results that in this world today, I too am still alive. To suffer for the rights I made wrong, to ask for forgiveness through the Son. Where forgiveness bleeds long, I am your retribution and their revenge. I am Eve and yes I am still a woman. God, forgive me for falling prey. Please reach down and deliver me from this hell to which I lay. I am Eve and woman for you, do I cry! So hold this feeling like a newborn. All the freedom surging through your veins. You have opened up a new door. So bring on the wind, fire and rain.” -Missy Higgins “Steer” If you would like to submit lyrics that have spoken to you or helped you through a difficult time, please send them to jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Can yoU Willa Denise Jones Can you shut ‘emdown? Does the world believe that this is the world’s solution Can you shut ‘emdown? Keeping factory’s open with no work, now that’s pollution Can you shut ‘emdown? The free clinics, people homeless, no more Drop Inn Center ... G! MOUR Y E S T LON E H M G I D N E FE E ALL JENKINS I FEED M BY JEN Can you shut ‘emdown? Washington Park, the sanitation workers, I can’t help but litter Can you shut ‘em down? Over the Rhine was white then it was black, I thought we were all together The title of this column is taken from the 1986 film “Little Shop of Horrors,” where a plant keeper must meet the demands of a ravenous plant that feeds on humans. Instead of plants that feed on people, this column is for people who feed on plants!! Can you shut’ emdown? I’m confused so tell congress I really thought they knew better ZESTY MEXICAN RICE I’m a sucker for Mexican food, have been for years. Unfortunately, since turning vegetarian almost 5 years ago I have struggled finding a Mexican restaurant that serves authentic VEGETARIAN Mexican cuisine and I had my suspicions as to why this was. My suspicions were confirmed on a recent vacation to Mexico. While in Cozumel my girlfriends and I sought out a place to dine for lunch and discovered this cozy little Mexican eatery. To my dismay the restaurant had only 1 vegetar­ ian option, stuffed peppers, which I disappointingly ate, while they savored their meaty options. Sadly, I may never get to enjoy the “real” flavors of Mexico unless I decide to eat meat again. Lucky for me, a few years back I started exploring how to make a quick and easy Mexican rice dish and came up with this. I hope you enjoy! Serving size, as a main dish 5-6 bellies. Ingredients: Cost at Kroger: 1 11oz container garden fresh gourmet salsa 3.99 2 cups water 3 cups instant rice 1.64 (½ box) 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil .60 LOREM Aliquam blandit Praesent molestie lorem 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced .20 ½ white or yellow onion, chopped IPSUM Ante magna vehicula.50 Sed turpis 16 oz. shredded Mexican style cheese 1.67 1 (15 oz) can Mexican style diced tomatoes with chiles, .75 undrained 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1.05 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained .70 1 cup crushed tortilla chips .50 Approximate Cost: 11.60         Mix water and salsa in a sauce pan- bring to boil. Add instant rice, stir, cover and remove from heat. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat and sauté the onion and garlic 3-4 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Add tomatoes, beans and corn and cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until heated through, remove from heat and combine with the cooked rice. In a bowl, toss the remaining oil with the crushed tortilla chips. In 9" x 13" baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer the tortilla chips and then the rice mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Heat in 350 oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melty. Voila, FEED! Etiam ac libero Can you believe in your heart that the decisions of our country are either republican or democratic? Can you believe that out of all the people in the world two simple parties be worthy of so much static? Can you close your eyes to the reality of the fear that has such a tight grip on our nation today? Can you keep living shut down and shut up? I’m baffled but not lost for words I can honestly say For me, learning to live without doubt or fear in my life and keeping God so close to my heart I have no doubt that without God’s blessings this world is doomed to fall completely apart With much faith and without any regards for the republicans or democrats controlling my being Without any doubt what so ever today I know that almighty God is the only real thing So can you shut ‘em down? Now slow down and take the time to think, what do you really understand? You need to come back into the days of Adam and Eve and remember when only God ruled the land! �14 StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 University of Cincinnati students skip the beach this spring break UC’s Spring Break Takes Students Around the World, Including Service in Haiti DaWn fUller Dawn.Fuller@uc.edu An adventure blending sun and fun over spring break is a longtime college tradition. But dozens of University of Cincinnati students are planning trips to destinations affected by earthquakes, hurricanes and mudslides, including two trips to the devastation in Haiti. UC’s spring break is the week of March 21. Students in several courses will continue their academic study beyond the classroom and around the world. Others are looking ahead to some hard physical labor as they offer service in areas that are struggling to recover from natural disasters. “I’ve never been on the typical spring break trip, but I feel like I’ve experienced so much more through my trips with Serve Beyond Cincinnati (SBC) and through helping people,” says Lindsay Long, co-president of the student service organization. Long will be leading SBC’s first trip to Haiti over spring break. “I love being on these ‘first’ trips, because we never know what to expect.” Here’s a roundup of where UC students will be serving, studying and traveling over spring break. Here are some of the places UC students will be serving, studying, and traveling over spring break. To see a complete list of the destinations go to: www.uc.edu UC Alternative Spring Break Trips Serve Beyond Cincinnati Trips Serve Beyond Cincinnati (SBC) is a UC student organization that strives to build an emerging, civic-minded generation by providing national and international service experiences for UC students. The organization founded by UC students is planning five service trips over spring break. Balan, Haiti Ten UC students will be working with the Fuller Center for Housing in a town just east of the capital of Port­ au-Prince. “We will be building the first house in this village, a home for a family displaced by the earthquake,” says Lindsay Long, UC senior biological sciences major and SBC co-president, who are leading the trip with fellow co-president Lane Hart, a UC junior who is majoring in information systems and finance. The cost of the trip per student is approximately $1,600. Students will be departing Cincinnati on March 18 and returning on March 26. “Service and academic study will have UC students pursuing adventures around the nation and the world as they plan their spring break.” San Luis Talpa, El Salvador Ten UC students will continue their three-year relationship of working with the Fuller Center for Housing, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing worldwide . The team will be building a home for a family in a developing community – a project they also tackled on their first trip to the region. On this trip, they are also planning a two-day adventure involving surfing lessons and exploring the village markets. The trip runs $1,500 per student. They’ll depart Cincinnati on March 18 and return on March 26. Service in Haiti source: serve beyond Cincinnati Webster Parish, La. Twelve SBC members will be working in partnership with the Fuller Center for Housing as part of a threeyear tradition of taking service-centered trips to this region. The cost of the trip is $300 per student. They’ll depart Cincinnati on March 19 and return on March 26. Kansas City, Mo. As SBC takes its first trip to Missouri, 12 UC students will work with the Fuller Center for Housing and a local affiliate to build a home for a family. The cost of the trip is approximately $300 per student. They’ll depart Cincinnati on March 19 and return on March 26. St. Louis du Nord, Haiti This UC service learning experience is themed, “Restoring Hope in Haiti.” Twenty-four students will travel to the region as part of a trip in partnership with the Northwest Haiti Mission. Students will take part in three areas of outreach: volunteering with children’s educational and athletics programs, assisting a clinic, and supporting community development. As part of their planning, a drive for everyday medical supplies is being led by trip coordinator Cheri Westmoreland – director of the McNair Scholars Program under Student Affairs and Services. The drive is collecting children’s Tylenol and Ibuprofen, anti-fungal cream, antacids and vitamins. “Even the most common everyday over-the-counter medications are lifesaving in Haiti,” says Westmoreland. The supplies are being collected at Swift Hall, Room 700. The cost of the trip per student is $1,800. Students will depart Cincinnati on March 17 and return on March 24. Rabinal, Guatemala The UC College of Business and McMicken College of Arts & Sciences Romance Languages Department lead this service learning course in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Guatemala. As 20 students build a home for a family in Guatemala, they’ll practice and improve their skills in speaking Spanish while observing issues of culture, social issues and the economy. The cost per student is $1,700, which includes a $500 individual donation to Habitat for Humanity International. Students were encouraged to apply for grants from UC International and the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center to offset travel costs. Students will depart Cincinnati on March 18 and return on March 27. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching names UC among 115 American colleges and universities for its 2010 Community Engagement Classification. The foundation issued the announcement earlier this year, naming UC among 35 research intensive universities to receive the classification. �15 S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside 381-SAFE 768-6907 FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 762-5660 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 535-2719 591-2246 562-8841 872-9259 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Crossroad Health Center 458-6670 977-4489 Treatment: Men Other Resources Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House 241-0490 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Justice Watch St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 961-4663 Treatment: Both 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry AA Hotline CCAT Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-0111 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 621-5514 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 961-4080 Peaslee Neighborhood Center Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart First Step Home Anthony House (Youth) 241-2600 241-2563 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 661-4620 Shelter: Both Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-2256 Treatment: Women 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 921-1613 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 721-4700 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care Hamilton/Middletown ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 art to empower Cedric Cox’s work celebrates the positive “The more personal you make your work the more universal it becomes, and the more it will resonate in others,” is what Terrence Corbin, then professor at the University of Cincinnati (UC), told once Cedric Michael Cox studying under him. Cox never forgot this advice and all of his artwork since has been a genuine reflection of his life, of who he is, of what he believes in, of what he would like to achieve in this world. By Saad GhoSn Contributing Writer Born in Dayton, OH, Cox, an African American visual artist, lived most of his life in Cincinnati. He attended Indian Hill Schools from first grade on and later UC, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, majoring in painting and drawing. Art from the beginning was his refuge, his mode of expression and of self-assertion. Growing up as a minority individual in a predominantly white community made him often feel estranged and somewhat out of place. He responded to the challenge by using his creative energy White Oak on Elm, acrylic painting on canvas. Painting and Photo by Cedric Cox. to communicate, meet others and go beyond divisive prejudices. During art school he produced work related to the African American experience and culture; he felt an obligation to do so. He was, however, at the same time constantly questioning how he could use his art to speak of himself, of his history, to become empowered, and empower others. He discovered his own voice studying internal anatomy, looking from the inside out, his anatomical drawings helping him answer who he was and where he fits. But his real artistic direction took shape only after he graduated and moved to Over The Rhine (OTR), downtown Cincinnati, to live. “Coming from the suburbs I was mesmerized by the graffiti on the sidewalks, on the buildings, by the coexistence of boarded up vacant houses side by side with palatial architecture,” he says. “Some buildings were being rehabbed, others not, still wearing their history. There was a rhythm to the Cedric Cox in his studio. Photo by bill Howes. neighborhood, a dynamic pattern of creation myth of the ancient Yoruba cultures of West shapes and forms, all like in a jazz symphony.” Africa, he emphasized the role every individual plays in the creation act, in the betterment of this world, in his Cox, a musician himself, playing bass in a hard rock case, constructive contributions to OTR. band, Morticite, since the age of 17, had been using music His painting White Oak on Elm shows in its center a tree and songs all along to reflect on himself and his views. overlapping and espousing various architectural details “In the band we write songs about injustice and from OTR, columns, church windows, rooftops… He prejudice, what affects us,” he says, “also about human meant it as a symbol of rebirth and hope, a source of struggles, love, doing the right thing to other fellows, continual inspiration and faith. By its organic form making this world a better place…” contrasting with the linear geometric elements of He decided to put his visual art at the same service, architecture, the tree brought a human quality to the to produce works painting, connecting to Cox’s feelings, experience and that speak of his new emotions about the neighborhood. neighborhood, its architecture, its beauty, In addition to his art, Cox has also contributed to OTR its rich potential, as an organizer and an educator. With Robin Harrison, emphasizing its a filmmaker who had directed a documentary on the positive, the goodness civil unrest of 2001, they produced The Blast Urban of its people, not only Arts and Cultural Festivals, bringing to the area events the bad that media that showcased themed art exhibitions, popular art usually portrays. By collections, films and music; they all intended to depict deconstructing and the local culture in a reputable, respectable way, making reinventing architectonic people aware of the richness of their heritage and configurations he created diversity. At the same time he created Art Shapes Us, an densely fragmented art teaching program for high school and middle school abstract drawings and students from various institutions and backgrounds; paintings that forced he also taught after-school art classes at the YMCA, the viewer to step in, served as a studio coordinator for Visionaries and Voices, connect with their spirit volunteered as guest speaker at various elementary and reexamine material schools, participated in educational art projects at the culture. Public Library, Art Museum, Contemporary Arts Center… His series Underground “I try to provide outlets and services to others, to lead juxtaposes horizontally them to positive change,” Cox says. “Working with kids, the 2 worlds of uptown I encourage them to follow their dream, reminding and downtown OTR, them that it can be achieved. I share with them my own uptown represented struggles, my fears, my bad experiences, but also that by the distant and with commitment, hard work and honesty, I am being somewhat cold cityscape, rewarded, that good prevails, that inner beauty grows downtown by the even in the midst of ugliness.” boiling underground visceral reality of the Cox perceives art as a tool of empowerment for himself neighborhood with its and others. It helps him become a better person, rich history and vibrant persevere through difficulty, assert himself. His art comes soul. from his heart, at the service of his life. “I wanted my paintings to pay tribute to the area, to “My art is about beauty from within,” he says. “It allows show what it is really about, its guts, its beauty, away me to be the best I can be, to project my fullest human from the stereotyped images of violence and decay usually associated with it,” he says. “It was my attempt to potential and share it with others in positive ways. I hope it can move others to realize their own dream. When I empower it, also its inhabitants.” hear a song I like I always envision myself performing In Horizon, he connected directly with the urban it on stage and sharing it with people I love so they too architectural landscape of the place and its inner spiritual may be touched by it. I would like my art to resonate the dimension. In his Mud Cloth drawings, related to the same with the viewer.” creation story and to Obatala, a deity central to the Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource March 15-31, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cincinnati Women Making Her Story Pg 2: Editorial Pg 3: Women Making History Pg 4: Women Making History Pg 5: The Homeless Congress Pg 6: San Francisco Homelessness Pg 7: The Struggle for Doing Good Pg 8: Fighting Poverty My First Rally Pg 9: My First Rally Continued Pg 10: No Quiet Old Age for South Africa’s Grannies Pg 11: Women and Human Rights Pg 12: Majo The Great Pg 13: Arts & Poetry Pg 14: University of Cincinnati Students Skip the Beach this Spring Break Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Art to Empower Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 15-31, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Elizabeth Schulenberg Jim Luken Riccardo Taylor Saad Ghosn Catie Dargue Jeni Jenkins Willa Denise Jones Laura Osborne-Coffey James Brown Lee McCoy Dawn Fuller Elisa Hill B. Clifton Burke Jimmie Gipson Elles van Gelder Beth Griffith- Niemann Amiee Willhoite Saad Ghosn Mikki Schaffner Bill Howes Suzanne Chouteau Bill Howes Cedric Cox Dawn Fuller Sarah Hager Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Americorps Amiee Willhoite Arts & Poetry B. Clifton Burke Beth Griffith- Niemann Bill Howes Catie Dargue Cedric Cox civil rights Dawn Fuller Elisa Hill Elizabeth Schulenberg Elles van Gelder Haiti Human Rights James Brown Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jim Luken Jimmie Gipson Laura Osborne-Coffey Lee McCoy Mikki Schaffner Over-the-Rhine Protests Rallies Riccardo Taylor Saad Ghosn San Francisco Sarah Hager South Africa Spring Break Suzanne Chouteau University of Cincinnati Willa Denise Jones Women https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/542c8bdb86adb30963d95b90b792b9d1.pdf e6916b874b065f3a2ba980d7070e4c0c PDF Text Text Move Ahead or Get Left Behind Congratulations Pg 8 March 1-14, 2011 Pg 14 • ADVOCATING JUSTICE Pearla Kinne,The inspiring story of an Argentinian Immigrant who followed her dream to save lives, one companion animal at a time By: Pearla Kinne A civil engineer by trade, at the time Perla Medina, an immigrant from Argentina, married Michael Kinne in 1990; she knew that animals would be an important part of her life. As other people their age were settling down and starting families, the Kinnes opted to adopt and rescue animals that needed special care and attention. Perla knew she had a knack for it. She thrived on providing critical and intensive care to her pets. For years the Kinnes adopted the old, terminally ill, black, and those that for whatever reason, would be a challenge to adopt out to forever homes. But every animal that others saw as a challenge, they viewed as a Judge Painter welcome addition. “The reward for us was in watching them flourish and become beloved members of our family”, she states. And that is how Angel’s Rest Animal Sanctuary got its start, unknowingly at the time by the founder. So in 2009, the Kinnes decided to make it official. “We wanted to help animals on a larger scale”, Perla says. Now Angel’s Rest Animal Sanctuary located in New Richmond, Ohio, is doing just that, helping the unadoptable live as full and happy a life as they can possibly have. Angel’s Rest, whose mission is SAVING LIVES, ONE COMPANION ANIMAL AT A TIME, strives to help unwanted animals who have no place to go other than a kill-shelter to face euthanasia, die alone in the streets or abandoned at the end of a chain. Its goal is to take animals out of situations where they would be facing imminent danger and provide them with a comfortable place to spend the remainder of their lives, no matter how long it may be. They strive to provide everyone that enters their doors with the care they need and deserve to ensure that they live the rest Issue 194 • • One Dollar BUILDING COMMUNITY of their lives in peace, comfort, well fed and loved. While they deal mostly with older residents that will reside in the sanctuary for the remainder of their days, they actively rescue, rehabilitate and have pets for adoption. Of the animals rescued, some will be entering ELDER PAWS™, a program designed to match older shelter animals with senior citizens, as long as their temperament matches with program requirements. “Angel’s Rest has been a life-long dream of mine. It is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time and the time is finally here,” says Perla. “Our sanctuary is growing a lot slower than I would prefer mostly due to limited funds and lack of a steady income stream. “ Angel’s Rest currently houses 6 dogs and 10 cats. Of the 16 current sanctuary residents, only one is healthy and is up for adoption. The rest are life-long residents who are facing a terminal illness, have a disability or exhibit some sort of behavioral issue which makes them “unadoptable”. “It has been a challenge starting a not-for-profit sanctuary during these difficult financial times, especially when donations are down across the board.” Adding to the difficulty has been not having a facility where animals can be housed and where people can come to see how their hard-earned money is being put to good use. Currently, Angel’s Rest houses animals at the founders’ home as well as two family members’ homes. “I find it very difficult conducting business without the benefit of having a building. You are not always taken seriously, especially when you are forced to hold meetings or interviews at the local coffee shop.” Another downside of their current situation is the limitation not having a facility places on the number of animals they can help. “I get calls and e-mails constantly wanting us to take animals that fit our criteria and we cannot help them. We just cannot take any more in without jeopardizing the well being of the ones we are committed to. It is very hard to accept that as a no-kill sanctuary you may be responsible for an animal’s death, all because you just cannot offer it a home immediately.” Angel’s Rest is planning on opening their first facility next month. “I am hopeful that the opening of Cat Village in March will help us move forward and grow a bit faster”, says Perla. Cat Village will enable the dogs and cats to be housed separately. Having both species under the same roof has been a huge problem for us with the recent addition of Dixie, an 11-year old, threelegged bull mastiff that sees cats as prey. “Our cats are older and some have life-long ailments. They need a peaceful environment.” Along with Cat Village’s opening, Angel’s Rest will be opening a thrift store as well as a bingo operation in New Richmond in the near future to fund the sanctuary’s operation and expansion. “The faster we can get these sources of income in place, the sooner we can start saving the lives of more animals. And, in the end, that is all that matters.” Angel’s Rest relies solely on donations and the kindness of others. They are a 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information or to make a donation, please visit www. angelsrestanimalsanctuary.org Stacey Smith recently changed her name to “Sun” after almost losing her mother to an illness in September. Jeni JenKins. staff Writer She felt like she was re-born with a spiritual motivation that woke her up from a complacent place and now she lives each day as a new opportunity to make herself better. Her new name represents the light that shines inside of her – “it was always there but it has definitely been rejuvenated since September.” This born and raised Cincinnatian draws inspiration from her mother who made tremendous sacrifices to raise her and her three siblings working as a domestic worker. Her mother’s strength drives Sun to work extra hard so she can take care of her as she gets older. Sun’s greatest accomplishment came when her mother witnessed her graduate from Northern Kentucky University with her Bachelors in Journalism and a minor in Sociology. As a first generation college student, having never walked for graduation in high school, this was a huge feat. One of Sun Smith’s designs from her SoapBoxTees Clothing line. See Women’s Herstory, P. 4 �2 Editorial ­ BY ThE NUMBERS 75.5 Cents The amount of money an American woman makes for every dollar that men earn (Page 2) 3.3 Billion The amount of women in the world (Page 2) 3-10-11 The next meeting of the Homeless Congress (Page 3) 32 The years Patti Marshall, Operations Manager for Q102, B105, Rewind, and The Wolf has worked in radio. (Page 4) 1,528 The miles the Japanese light rail transportation system Shinkansen, reaches (Page 8) 60 The percentage of Zimbabweans that have HIV and are female (Page 11) 27 The years Judge Painter has been elected a trial and appellate judge (Page 14) 18 The age Kim Shifflett left her home in New Mexico to pursue her artistic goals. (Page 16) Streetwise “What if Prince Charming never showed up? Would Snow White have slept in that glass coffin forever? Or would she have eventually woken up, spit out the apple, gotten a job, a health care package, and a baby from her local neighborhood sperm bank?” Jen Martin Editor I never really thought of myself as a feminist. I was walking into work the other day and Jeni Jenkins, our fabulous Education Director, asked me how I walk in my shoes. Anyone who knows me knows I love my shoes. Most are heels that raise me up 3 or more inches. There are probably tons of people who think I am a giant. I am about 5’7 without them so most days I appear about 6 feet tall. I don’t have trouble walking in them, I actually feel weird and less confident without them. I don’t wear them to look more attractive, I wear them because they are beautiful and they make me feel that way. When I started working with a friend of mine, he made the movie poster ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’ his screen saver as a nod to my height illusion. Illusion, the word I often use when people ask how tall I am. I typically explain that I am not this tall, it is just an illusion. Or as Chris Rock says, it’s just a lie. Women are visual liars. And yes, Mr. Rock, we are. Being a modern American woman is not an easy task. I believe men tend to think women can control the way feel sometimes. I am not saying we are completely incapable, saying that would mean a woman couldn’t be president because she would… oh what is the quote? I think it’s something like “A woman can’t be president because she’ll get her period and declare war.” That is just silly but the fact remains that women are more emotional due to these insane hormones we have. Add those hormones to pregnancy, motherhood, the day in day out life of being subjected to men’s advances (even when we don’t want to hear them), and Mother Nature’s cruel joke called menstruation; and it is truly amazing that women are right on par with men these days. In fact, modern women need men for practically nothing. Women can make just as much money (even though we have to work harder since women make only 75.5 cents for every dollar that men earn, according to a report by the U.S. Census Bureau). And if there is one thing I have learned in my life, only one thing I could pass on to any girl who hopes to achieve their dreams; it would be to simply make your own money, to have your own plan. If you do count on a man, chances are likely there will come a day you may have to reevaluate and start from scratch. Which it seems many women in the US don’t have a problem doing. And it’s damn hard when you go it alone without a backup plan; such has been my life for the past year. And I am not nearly alone in my plight. In 2010, 46% of first marriages in the US ended in divorce. It isn’t a crazy statistic when you consider that money is the top reason for arguments within a marriage. We have learned that marriages of financial obligation are just that, obligation. Women these days don’t have to settle for that. It makes you wonder…and in the words of the great Sex and the City writers, “What if Prince Charming never showed up? Would Snow White have slept in that glass coffin forever? Or would she have eventually woken up, spit out the apple, gotten a job, a health care package, and a baby from her local neighborhood sperm bank?” Even though we typically make less money, have more daily commitments, and deal with all those aforementioned hormones; we are still making strides daily in the fight for feminine equality. Each woman has a daily struggle that no man truly understands. And with that, I am just referring to American women. Let’s not forget that there are still areas of the globe, even today, where it is not only acceptable but completely normal for women to experience oppression, illiteracy, rape, poor health care, not to mention physical and mental abuse. In Afghanistan, domestic violence is common, 87% of women said they had experienced it. In oil rich Saudi Arabia, women live their entire life under the guardianship of a male relative. They are not allowed to interact with men publicly, drive a car, and they must live strictly segregated lives. Breaking any of these rules would expose them to sever punishment. In areas of Pakistan, women are gang-raped as punishment for men’s crimes. Killing women as a means of honor in these areas has become wider spread with a renewed wave of religious extremism that targets female politicians, human rights workers, and lawyers. When I think of those women and what they must experience, I feel so privileged to live where I live with the rights so many brave women fought for. Of the 3.3 billion women that occupy this planet, I am one of the lucky ones and if you’re reading this, you probably are too. I was told from day one that I could be whatever I wanted to be. Despite dealing with men in my life who have treated me much less than ‘good’, I always had the right and the means to get away from them. By the means, I mean the resources. And they are there ladies, resources in Cincinnati for women and their issues are abundant. See our resources page if you or someone you know is in need. And again, I feel privileged to live where I live. I am hardly a traditional feminist. I wear heels; make up, a push up bra, and Spanx when I feel a little chubby. While married, I loved the role of playing house and having dinner on the table by six. All of these things though, I did and still do by choice. I believe a qualified woman should make as much as their male counterpart. I believe in a woman’s’ right to choose (and with the insane over population of the world, you should too). I believe women can achieve anything, I mean anything they want. I believe that in my lifetime, we will see a woman president. I believe that women will likely rule this world eventually. If we can manage high powered careers, motherhood, relationships and our monthly visitor…I think we can and we will conquer. I have seen a man with a cold (and recent studies show men do complain an abnormal amount when sick), I am convinced if a man got a menstrual period they would be on the couch in a fetal position. Sorry guys, you would. So ladies, this is my salute to us…to the brave women who paved the way for us to speak our overactive minds, and the fabulous local women featured in this issue. As my mom still says, you go girl. STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo.com Website: www.cincihomeless.org STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 3 Local Issue homeless Congress ­ February Meeting riccardo taylor Before giving the spiel and elaboration of the particulars of the second Homeless Congress session it is my pleasure to relate our sincere appreciation and gratitude to Pastor Fred Cook and his wife Leslie Cook for their support and generosity in providing for us the space and allotment of time to conduct our meetings. We would also like to give thanks to all other staff and program directors at the First Lutheran Church of Race St. The second meeting of the Homeless Congress, which was held on February 10/2011, was what I consider to be a success. Our membership count for the day was at eight down from the ten original members who started with me in January. My reason for viewing this meeting as a success is not because of the decline in the number of attendees, but the simple reality that we as a group did meet again as scheduled with the majority of the first meetings attendees returning. The fact that these individuals, all who I might add are under some stress of the conditions of homelessness/poverty, did find the time and as well provided their energy through participation during the meeting is deserving of recognition and appreciation from myself and those who may receive some future benefit. For the most part the only real difference between the first and second meeting as far as attendance and participation goes is that our first meeting held in January was attended by a group of individuals, whom I had the pleasure of convincing that our convening for the particular task of creating a voice for those of us living in the circumstance homelessness was both a worthy cause and a great opportunity for us too air the issues which effect us most. Though not all the original members were present at the second meeting some did follow protocol for missing a session and we look for their return for future meetings. Further, I have convinced myself that a project such as the creation and substantiation of such an entity will take some trial and error as well as some weeding out of potential membership. Armed with all the possibilities of failure and success, I can say with a sense of pride and respect for our member body that we are convinced of our mission and we are pushing forwarded! At our latest meeting we went over the introduction of our pilot project that we hope to institute at the Drop Inn Center. The particulars and duties to be performed by the selected Congress members were set in place and the volunteers for the project are in agreement for contractual assistance with the Drop Inn Center’s staff. Our next step will be the introduction to the Drop Inn center and hopeful partnership with that agency. The remaining time spent in session was a review of some of the immediate issues with winter sheltering, and other issues that might be available for us as a group to engage in within community/resources agencies where we might be of assistance or available for volunteering. We ended the meeting on a positive note and with high hopes of becoming an asset to our community we set our next meeting date for March 10, 2011. In giving appreciation for the individuals who have come forth to help make a difference and who are instrumental in making the Congress a reality below are listed the members of Cincinnati’s Homeless Congress. James De Mario Brown Dennis Saker Keith Eutsey Jerry Davis Constance Walton Stephen Snow Gentry Lee McCoy Deerrick Prophet Walter Washington Booger Love Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Street Life Streetvibes Staff Editor Jen Martin, Keeping score jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Art Director Elizabeth Schulenberg Contributing Writers Jennifer Martin, Donald Whitehead, B. Clifton Burke, Pearla Kinne, Jordan Antoine Wilson, Riccardo Taylor, Saad Ghosn, Jeni Jenkins, Willa Denise Jones, Fungai Machirori Photography/Artwork Anthony Williams, Amiee Willhoite, Saad Ghosn, Pearla Kinne, Colleen Lowe Morna, Eddie Sun, GCCH Staff The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. Riccardo Taylor Source: GCCH riccardo taylor The whirl-wind reality of life in the streets lacks in options, and more conclusively has only two types of players. Addressed by any other name they still come out the same. Winners, and losers; a simple formula, at least to the common ear, yet the reality is so much more varied. Everybody knows that someone has to win at the expense of someone losing, but it is so much more then that! You see, you cannot make a loser out of a winner or visa versa, each has its own position. Keeping score, it’s a count that all street people use, large or minute it’s important that you know, the tally, it allows you to get an edge, or when needed or too play catch up. The employment of hard work or the leisure of kicking back is all generated from the count. Pleasure when you are up misery when you are down! Even with such a simple formula, there is still that sense of doubt that creeps in from time to time. Is this where I want to be? Do I have enough or too little? Let me count again, I have to be sure that the score is right! Often times it’s hard to determine where we stand, no winner thinks he’s a loser and no loser thinks he’s not winning. However, there is the reality that someone has to win and someone has to lose. The only difference is that there is only one reality. “Winners make things happen and losers let things happen.” So let us see how this works. The winner. This is the person who goes out, and regardless of the odds or the circumstance, they put forth their full effort. Using everything at their immediate disposal they create the situation/circumstance that best fits the desired result. They are fearless of the outcome, and only concern themselves with the rewards that are to be gained from their endeavor. Taking a chance is the engine of motive for success, having the confidence that only a winner can have, they step headlong into the project, always expecting the most but resolved too accept what comes. The winners know that with just a bit more effort it can be remedied. “Go to where life takes you.” Now the loser, true to his/her disposition, at the first setback or difficulty they throw up their hands in defeat. That common motto, “I did my best”, always seems to be the answer. They tend to have satisfaction from their least bit of effort, and refuse to see things in any other light. Not having the willingness or the fortitude to press on, they allow things to be where they are and to just let it happen. There is an excuse for everything! It is what it is, or, so they say. Taking things for granted we would expect everyone to be satisfied where they are, if you are satisfied with the outcome of your efforts then your OK. However, I beg the difference, actually if we are satisfied with where we are then that makes us somewhat of a loser! One should never be content, with just where they are, there is always room for improvement, and striving for that improvement is the mark of a true winner. Therefore, the keeping of the score is much more then just a count, it’s a calculation of where one wants to be, and not just an idea of the moment. Winners are never completely content and so they are in search of more. Losers are staid and a moment of contentment is their desire. The scorekeeper is the true winner and the keeper of the score! �4 Women Making herstory Patti Marshall, a Journey from Marilyn Monroe to Mogul Continued from P. 1 At 33, Sun is on a path she feels proud of. As Case Manager with Lighthouse Youth Services she spends her days working with at-risk teens between the ages of 13 and 17. She assists youth with mental health and behavior issues, connecting them with community resources to keep them away from negative influences. In her work, Sun co-facilitates a substance abuse prevention support group once a week in addition to individually counseling teens to keep them away from drugs and their negative effects. Sun sees herself as a visionary and as a teacher but is also learning through others and enjoys the fresh insight the youth give on how the world works. “I think that keeps me youthful and helps me keep my ideas flowing and keeps me from being complacent- they energize me. Our youth can provide new solutions to old problems and that is inspiring to me.” Sun recognizes she is making a positive difference when she sees a kid she is working with start to believe in themselves more- and she sees their confidence grow. “When I see a person moving away from where they were from the time we have spent together- breaking people away from the cycle of poverty and impoverished mindset that sometimes comes along with it.” Sun says she pushes youth to think outside of themselves and their norms and explore the world with new eyes. Through her mentoring she exposes youth to art museums, the planetarium and cooking classes as well as teaching them how to apply for jobs, and reserve a library bookall of which she says are “sustainable skills and resources to be able to become independent.” “Many kids don’t have a strong support system and I help them increase their social supports.” When Sun isn’t working with at-risk youth she volunteers for the Cincinnati Association for the Blind as an on air radio reader. Additionally, she’s an advocate for immigration reform, recently volunteering for the Immigration Reform Movement on the local campaign with the Interfaith Worker’s Center to establish workers rights for low wage works and immigrants. Since 2007 Sun has also owned and operated a small business, Soap Box Tees, a creative, urban and socially conscious lifestyle clothing company. Sun designs clothing that are a reflection of her environment and passions. Her work as an activist, writer, and volunteer fuels her drive for promoting social responsibility. STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Hmmm in the beginning I was too young (15) to recognize it, then it started with what management thought was “acceptable” for a female role. Only midday or nights, a sidekick in the morning (never lead and few are now)..... nor were you considered for the program director position. In the early 90’s one boss told me I sounded too much like Marilyn Monroe to be real...something I’ve never forgotten. I took that to mean ‘dumb blond’ by the way he said it. Later I turned it into a challenge, hung her picture on my wall and celebrated. Marilyn had a lot more going on than everyone thought too. I think it’s always in the wind....assumptions are made because you’re female that you’re too emotional, that you won’t work well with other women, the list goes on and on. I guess the best defense is to be damn good at your job and help your company make money .... results are hard to argue with. I am humbled and privileged by the opportunity to document the lives these extraordinary Cincinnati women. -Jeni Jenkins. Staff Writer Continued from P. 4 Julie Evans, Up and Coming Radio Management Giving an Inspiring Take on Being a Gay Woman in a Man’s World author: intervieW By Jennifer Martin An Interview with Patti Marshall You have so many titles…what are they? Operation and Marketing manager of WYGY 97.3 fm “The Wolf”, WUBE 105.1 “B-105” , WKRQ 101.9 fm “Q102”, WREW 94.9 fm “Rewind”, and Program Director for Q102. How long have you been in radio and what made you start? I have been in the radio business for 32 years; I started in radio because I love music. In 1979 I was signed up for an Easter seals dance a thon... about hour 6 of a 24 hour event I started to drive I am truly blessed with the women I work with. Q102 has more full time on air female hosts than any Cincinnati station and most stations in the country. Add to that Kim Carson, Amy Tobin and Jennifer Martin who all contribute to the station’s weekend programming. Jenn Jordan (Jeff and Jenn, Mornings), Laura Powell (Afternoons with Brian Douglas), Jennifer Fritsch (Morning Show Producer) and Holly Morgan (Middays) are the most talented women I’ve ever worked with. Each has a distinctly different personality and their lives reflect our audience. Moms, wives, single, divorced they share it all on the air. We have a lot of women here at the stations...from Angie Mitchell our business manager, sales, traffic, new media to Katie Walters our Q Promotions Coordinator, we never run of a woman’s opinion and influence. See Women’s Herstory, P. 5 Great Books! visit facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/streetvibesnwes streetvibes.wordpress.com www.cincybooks.com I’ve been in Radio 11 years. 10 years paid! Got into radio because I love music but I have no talent (as far as playing an instrument or singing) so I thought radio would be the next best thing. Throughout your time in radio have you found being a woman has worked for against you? As Operations Manager of the four station cluster, how important is giving back to the community, and how do you decide which charities you partner with? Tell me about the thought process behind Q102’s programming and talent. How long have you been in radio and what made you get in the business in the first place? Amy Lind Educating and Empowering to Change Lives Work directly with the sales department to organize client needs through promotions. Also, schedule all the music you hear on the station. Work hard, learn all facets of the job, and surround yourself with people who are supportive, stay true to your value system, and look for a company that appreciates your talent…and seek a mentor who helps you develop. When you start...consider all of the above as your true salary, don’t measure your worth by the number on your paycheck until you have the experience to demand it...and even then weigh quality over quantity. I feel a strong need to use the power we have to help. Our charity events reflect the needs and life experiences of the listener for each station. With Q102’s large female audience we focus on breast cancer, heart disease, and children. Everyone woman has a friend or family member who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Heart disease is the number one killer of women. B105 and 97.3 The Wolf have strong patriotic initiatives....the Marine Corps Toys for Tots, the USO. Rewind 94.9 has a broader approach, helping local charities with its support of the Rusty Ball and so many other organizations. Our listeners guide us. A good station is a mirror of its audience. An Interview with Julie Evans, Promotions Director/ Assistant Program Director for “Rewind” 94.9 fm What do you technically do each day? What advice do you have for young women who want to break into the radio/ media world? When I thought about powerful women in Cincinnati, the first person that came to mind is Patti Marshall. I started working with Patti about 6 years ago when I was hired at the old alternative rock station, 97.3. The first time I saw Patti, I was scared to death. When Patti walks in a room, people shut up. I was just a radio baby and seeing Patti walk the halls, commanding respect from everyone, was a frightening and inspiring thing. When I explain Patti Marshall to anyone I usually sum it up by saying, “…she is basically everything I would like to eventually be.” When she asked me to be a part of Q102’s weekend programming, it was a surreal moment for me. A lot of radio people would laugh at that because weekends aren’t usually a huge deal, but the fact that Patti had confidence in me…that was a great feeling. Patti has managed to become one of the biggest radio players in the town by being a woman who fights for what is right and never backing down from a male counterpart. She has managed to put together a radio station that seems to greatly understand and relate to the women of Cincinnati. The one thing that I believe sets her aside from any other Program Director is the simple fact that she never loses sight of who is listening to the radio she puts on the air. When she talks about her listeners, she refers to them as ‘My Girls’. Understanding women and being able to outsmart the men has made Patti Marshall a figure that I think any girl who has ever been judged as a ‘dumb blond’ should look up to. 5 Women Making herstory the DJ crazy with questions. I asked him how I could get a job in the business, he told me to go home and record myself reading advertisements out of the newspaper. I did and dropped off the tape and he hired me to run the board for ‘Kasey Kasem’s Top 40 Countdown’. What has your experience been, being a woman in mainly male dominated industry? intErviEw by JEnnifEr Martin STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Like Patti said, the building that all four of her radio stations call home is full of talented, thoughtful women. The second person that came to mind as being an inspiring female figure was the woman who gave me my first shot on the air, after just ‘liking my voice’. Julie Evans is the Promotions genius of the building. I have never met someone more organized and focused on her career while still being the person everyone loves. Julie is outspoken, true to her heart, and most importantly one of those people you just enjoy being around. She doesn’t play the typical ‘radio game’ of being shady and backstabbing. She is honest with her staff and the people she reports to. Her office over the years was a hangout for everyone in the building, almost “the cool place” to be. Everyone has had their favorite radio station flip formats or fire people. I have been through these 3 times now with Julie being the one to break the news to everyone. What sets Julie apart as a manager is that these events break her heart too. I remember when 97.3 (it was ‘Everything Alternative’ 97.3 at the end) was disbanded and flipped to create “94.9 The Sound”. Despite keeping her job, Julie may have taken the flip the hardest. A lot of radio managers act as though they are upset when a whole staff is fired but with Julie, you feel it. To meet Julie is to love her. I’m honored to have her as my friend. I have never thought I have been treated different based on the fact that I’m a woman. I knew right away when coming in the building that there was way more men than women working here but this environment here has never been anything that made me feel that I was treated any different. In fact, being a woman has worked to my benefit. For the first 9 years of my radio career I worked at a station that targeted men, and being one of veryfew women at the station I thought I gave a different perspective on the way to think of creative ideas to reach men. As of now and the last 2 years I have worked for s station that targets female and being I am the only full time women on the staff, the men pay attention when I have an idea. What projects are you working on? Currently I am involved in the Adopt-A-Class program, where we are “pen pals” with students from an underprivileged neighborhood. I guess that really doesn’t have anything to do with me being a female but does give me a ton of joy to see these kids and have them experience things they have never gotten the opportunity to do before. You speak often and openly about being a lesbian, do you feel like this has ever hurt your career or maybe helped you? I think my work place is way more openminded most. When I started here I wasn’t “out”, I even dated a couple guys from work. I think when I finally came “out” people weren’t really shocked. If anything it made me become closers to a lot of my co-workers. I have never had a problem talking about being gay (at work or on the radio). In fact, I’m super proud to be gay. I just always thought that if you were one of those people that didn’t like gay people… meet me and I bet you change your mind. What advice do you have for young women who want to break into the radio/ media world? Don’t …just kidding. Radio is so cut throat. So if you aren’t willing to make little to no money for awhile and beat doors down for a couple years… I would pick something else. Women or not, radio is one of those businesses that really isn’t hiring any “new blood”. So if someone is really interested in radio, I would say they need to maybe job shadow to see if this is really want they want Amy Lind sees herself as a survivor and someone who effects social change even if it’s one tiny step at a time. As a survivor of violence, oppression and discrimination, she wants to pass the awareness of how she survived onto others through teaching. Lind, who holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University and a dual BA in Women’s Studies and Latin American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz wears many hats including researcher, published author, mentor, and Associate Professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Cincinnati. In her life she has achieved numerous fellowships, grants and honors for her work on economic and sexual justice. Born in Galesburg, Illinois and raised in Southern California, her mother was a big influence in her life as an advocate for different kinds of rights. One of her earliest forms of inspiration came from her aunt Amy Conger, an Art History Professor who while living in Chile in the early 1970s survived the torture of the Chilean military under Pinochet’s rule. While Lind was still in elementary school at the time, her aunt’s story sparked a lifelong passion for social justice issues in Latin America. Since college, Lind has taught and lectured around the globe on topics ranging from gender, sexuality, reproductive rights, violence, globalization and development in America and Latin America. As a teacher her end goal is to help students acquire knowledge that validates their own experiences and identities, “which in this world, unless you are a white, heterosexual male is hard to find validation for.” Much of her work is about teaching students how to think differently then how they have been socialized, “if I can help my students find and create that knowledge for themselves that’s the most important thing I can do.” See Women’s Herstory, P. 6 �6 Women Making herstory Continued from P. 5 Lind’s work is about seeking equality and justice and ending oppression which is inspired by all the people protesting and defending workers rights across the country and “all the people who are fighting against corporate greed and neo-liberal restructuring.” She recognizes a recent change in the political climate: “it feels like something is shifting in the universe. The greed and the inequalities between the rich and the poor are getting worse, which is motivating more people to get involved.” Cover of Lind’s 2005 book Gendered Paradoxes Through her scholarship Lind believes she is making a positive difference in people’s lives: “If I can help change the lives of one or two of my students, that keeps me going, and transforms me in the process as well.” Lind’s most current work is looking at how to combine sexual and reproductive rights with economic justice, “I don’t think we can talk about one without the other.” She recently edited Development, Sexual Rights and Global Governance in 2010 as well as authored Gendered Paradoxes in 2005. In addition, she recently received the prestigious Taft Center Fellowship which will give her the opportunity to work on her a new book entitled Governing Sexuality: Development, Family Norms and the Struggle for Sexual Rights in Ecuador. When Lind is not lecturing, writing or researching, she often serves as an expert witness for women and gay and lesbian immigrants from Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru who are seeking political asylum in the US and the UK. And while her work takes her across the globe, one of her personal goals is to continue to travel to countries she has yet to see. As an educator, author and volunteer Lind has dedicated herself to making a difference. Each day she continues her work changing as many people’s lives that she can. Couple Marjorie Bledsoe’s passion for community with her zeal for teaching and making art and music and the result is distinction. Marjorie, or “Miss Marjorie” as her friends call her, is a wild fire, sprinkling her artistic flame throughout the community. Born and raised in Oxford, Ohio, Marjorie’s mother encouraged her from a young age to be artistic. Beginning lessons at the age of 8 her studies included voice, piano, advanced music theory, flute, oboe, baritone horn, trombone and guitar. Her enthusiasm for the arts continued in high school when she first started making ceramic art. This interest led her to pursue academic studies at Hocking College in Athens, Ohio where she studied Music Production and Visual Design and eventually opened her first gallery Half Way Sun in Nelsonville, Ohio which focused on indigenous and ethnic art. Now, as a Studio Technician, Marjorie teaches classes and works collaboratively with her partner Dustin Lee to make “FaceWare” out of Funk Fired Arts Studios in Hyde Park, where she has been employed since 2009. Funk Fired Arts, one of the largest public studios in the country, is a gallery and teaching studio with classes for everyone from beginners to advanced ceramic artists. According to Marjorie, ceramics are a lost African American cultural tradition and she wants to bring it back into those communities. For Marjorie, her art is not limited to what she makes “my art is my life.” “By teaching people something new, as part of the process of learning ceramics, you have to pay attention to yourself a lot. It’s a reflective process. I give people the opportunity to have a dialogue with themselves and to pay attention to things they wouldn’t normally pay attention to. It’s about making connections and becoming more self-aware.” STREETVIBES ­ March 01-14, 2011 ­ In addition to teaching and doing studio work, Marjorie is currently a junior working on her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP program. In the near future, Marjorie will be doing more community based art with an emphasis on social justice- making a connection through art with social awareness, self awareness and making things more apparent. Marjorie sees a clear connection between art and social justice. Marjorie’s passion for social justice naturally led to her extensive involvement with UC’s RAPP (Racial Awareness Program) which she describes as a “dialogue about race, gender, sexuality, orientation, intersectionality and socialization.” According to Marjorie, “the end goal is to provide people with identity awareness whether it is social awareness or other people’s identities. It’s a forum for people to discover their own identities and how they may impact other people’s lives.” In 2010, Marjorie received the Terrence L. Jones Diversity Award for her involvement with RAPP. Marjorie in the studio on her potter’s wheel Marjorie is a visionary. In the future she would like to run a cooperative gallery and currently she is working on stating a local time bank, which is a group of people who exchange services and skills for time dollars. The time dollars earned can be spent within the collective, on any member participating. Marjorie envisions living in a more equitable world where people aren’t necessarily valued with dollar signs. She wants people to realize how valuable community is and that they may have talents that aren’t valued from a traditional capitalist viewpoint. One of her end goals is to help people put more value on their given talents because we as a society don’t always pay attention to them. Marjorie believes that people are good in general, that they aren’t inherently bad. “Even people who are misguided or bad in some way, that’s not part of them- they learned it. Everyone can change and everything can change. We all have the power to do that.” See Women’s Herstory, P. 7 STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Women Making herstory ­ 7 Continued from P. 6 Cleveland native and 20 year resident of Cincinnati, Bet Stewart has worked to craft her living as a performing artist and teaching artist for over 30 years. Bet Stewart with Andy Hopkins & Amos Hopkins (her sons), playing on the Alaska Queen, a steamboat near Ketchikan Alaska Bet holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Cincinnati and has studied theatre with people all over the world. Bet’s motivated each day because she is doing what she loves and she’s “very lucky to be doing what I love.” Her contribution to the world is “giving a lot of people a voice that would not normally have a voice.” In addition to writing, directing and performing plays, Bet recently began writing and performing her own songs which she plans to continue to focus on as her career progresses. Her lifelong dream is to one day perform in Europe and Australia. Self employed as the Artistic Director with Intuition Theatre- a local touring theatre group founded in 1981; she found her niche with the group in 1983. Bet’s work with the theatre group includes writing, producing and directing a variety of plays for both youth and adults throughout the region. Her plays are a mix of art forms including “drama, comedy, music, miming and stilt walking.” One of her more recent plays produced through the Kentucky Humanities Council as a Kentucky Chautauqua Performer, is based on the life and legend of Rosemary Clooney, internationally known American actress and singer who struggled with addiction. This one woman show highlights the many obstacles Clooney faced and how she overcame them through song. Another of Bet’s plays “Stand in My Shoes” is a justice play focusing on conflict resolution and how people need to stand in other peoples shoes - starting with kids on the playground on up to international foreign politics. She performs “Stand in My Shoes” at area schools teaching children the importance of seeing other perspectives by wearing someone else’s shoes. Bet believes that theater is created to make change and that it helps open people’s minds. In her work Bet strives to “help people see something in a new light, in a new way.” She carries this philosophy on in her work at Rivercity Correctional Center, a rehabilitative prison where she teaches and directs with Inside/Outside, a program designed to build inter-personal and life-management skills through the visual, literary and performing arts. Bet teaches movement, storytelling, improv, music, and songwriting in a series of creative workshops with women prisoners dealing with substance abuse issues. Her goal is to “teach them and help them express themselves. We give them a voice so that they have skills and ways to express themselves, so that when they get out they can have a rich life.” Inside/Outside is a “therapeutic community of people qualified to change thinking and behavior.” The teaching artists provide accessible lesson plans that are challenging yet help people with self esteem so they “believe they can do something and be someone.” In her work, Bet finds inspiration from a variety of artists including comedienne Lily Tomlin, singer song-writer Peggy Seeger, jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, the political theatre troupe SanFrancisco Mime Troupe and Augusto Boal, the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, a theatrical form originally used in radical popular education movements. Bet’s influences and interests guided her down a rich path of experiences including 13 years as a stilt walker with roles ranging from a giant Statute of Liberty singing “Do Wop” and an 8 foot tall one woman band; working with homeless women at Welcome House Shelter in Kentucky to create poerty, movement, dance and storytelling; directing Karen Brody’s play “Birth” a critically acclaimed play about childbirth, women’s vulnerability when they are giving birth and the need for change in the healthcare profession; singing and performing with Cincinnati’s Muse Choir; as well as conducting research and writing scripts for 19 original plays about social and historical issues. �8 Opinion ­ STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Move Ahead or Get Left Behind. ­ A look at what life could be like without a car The notion of an American society abandoning their cars often is often dismissed with a polite laugh. People love their cars, is what I’m told; they enjoy driving them. If that is true or not doesn’t matter. What does matter is that people currently need their cars whether they like driving them or not. The following rant is a sort of grandiose and fantastic vision of what many urban areas could look and feel like if more people gave up their cars for public transit. B. clifton BurKe For most people, having a car is a survival tool. It makes having a job, getting food, and seeking out entertainment much easier. The United States is still quite wide with lots of space and privacy, which adds even more reason to own a car. Child care becomes infinitesimally more difficult without a car. Non­ emergency health visits require personal ownership of cars, shopping is harder to accomplish without one, holiday travel becomes more of a pain. I get it! There will always be reasons to own cars, but the more society works to eliminate those reasons, the more empowered many urban-dwelling individuals and families could become. It seems to me that, as time goes by and resources dry up, people will migrate back to the cities and rely on another for survival. Some of this trend of repopulating rundown urban areas can already be seen in Cincinnati. A resurgence of money and development has taken place in local wastelands like the West End. A wave of displacement is occurring where yuppies are moving into the new stylish apartment complexes, while lower-income people scramble mainly West to nearby affordable neighborhoods. On one hand, the shift is good for resuscitating one of Cincinnati’s oldest and most historical neighborhoods, preserving the centuries-old architecture there that has been left to die a neglectful and sorry death, and for bringing both money and a safer nightlife closer to the city’s core in the process. On the other hand, though, there seems to be no tactful plan in place to assist those citizens who will, in a short time if not already, be economically forced from their homes, and that seems like a lack of civic responsibility from our elected leadership. Digressions aside, the fact is, cities are planning for more people to remain closer to the financial hubs of the areas where they reside, and a place to keep themselves and their car will come at a premium in such a scenario. That space will be needed for more logistical living arrangements that satisfy the basic requirements of city-people, like more sidewalks, more utility lines and more plumbing, not to mention the accessibility to repair and upkeep these services. The city must still flow, even with a swell of inhabitants; therefore too many cars would slow down progress, which is both wasteful and avoidable. A serviceable and effective public-transit system and an encouragement toward a pedestrian lifestyle are necessary for a city’s future growth and sustainability. STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 9 Local Feed me Seymour... Feed me all night long. By the Taco Tuesday Brigade. out of sovereign waters. Rather than simply wait to be caught slipping up and pay your fine for participating in a driving society, you get to move about largely obstructed from the ever-watchful eye of law-enforcement. While that isn’t a license to engage in sneaky illegal practices, it should help you understand the void of worry and stress that drivers have to live with every time they get behind the wheel. Work Equals Public Transit By this point, you should start to wonder how you’re going to get around without a car. Saving money is great and all, but that stops mattering if you can’t get to work to make more of it. The only way is public transit. Some of us have been lucky enough to walk to work or school every day, but that is typically a pleasant coincidence rather than a strategic result. Limiting your job prospects to the small circumference we might consider “walking distance” is not only a bad idea, it’s downright irresponsible. As jobs are wrung out more and more from the giant employment dishtowel, and the percentage of jobless American people continues to grow, the most successful of us will be the ones who are willing to go anywhere for work. Most times, in order to apply your trained skills and maximize your full potential, you must have the ability to travel. Yet, if you’re without a car, the impossibilities of realistic employment crash upon you right away. In 2002, Cincinnati shot down a light-rail proposal that would have sprawled across the metro area in a sort of jagged asterisk-like design. It’s a tough populace around here to convince of anything that could be described as “progressive”. So instead, Cincinnati lumbers along with a shoddy bus system that is organizationally flawed from top to bottom. Trying to get across town to the job that normally takes 20 minutes in your car, would take nearly an hour each way on the bus. For a moment though, let’s pretend that Cincinnati does build the light-rail. Now it takes 20 minutes on the train and another 12 or so on the transfer bus. The whole process takes no longer than 40 minutes each way. If you live near the center of the asterisk, you’re able to get anywhere in the greater Cincinnati area in roughly this amount of time. Your job prospects now effectively match those of when you still had your car. Still dubious? Let’s take the idea even further and talk about bullet trains to Saving Money and Burden The first thing someone—let’s just go second-person and say you—benefit from by not driving is avoiding car insurance. That monthly payment can now go toward a public-transit pass which is hopefully cheaper and therefore saves you money. Not requiring car insurance also relieves you of one less thing you can be arrested for, which can’t be bad and will be visited again later in this piece. If you’re not in a car, and your cell phone vibrates in your pocket, you can safely stop what you’re doing to answer it, where as before, you would do the same while driving and hit a guard rail. That incident raised your insurance, but nothing you can do walking or taking the bus, could ever raise any kind of premium (unless you’re impossibly clumsy or dangerously rude). The next cost you would cut would be gas. As if the insurance and often times the car payment aren’t enough, there’s always the gas. We all know gas is an environmental issue. It comes from oil which we’re told we should use less of, and now it’s coming from corn which not everyone is convinced is a satisfactory replacement for oil but isn’t going away any time soon. Setting the environment aside (which is a big reason why it’s become such a problem to begin with, I guess), not filling your tank twice a month or more now gives you money in your pocket for perhaps a fancier six-pack or a decent pair of snow boots—you will need both over the winter, trust me. Less gas, in theory, would mean less dependence on foreign oil which right-wing blowhards can’t stand, and, reduce greenhouse emissions which left-wing blowhards can’t stand. Of course, this idea of less gas would rankle the big-oil and ethanol dragons of the world and would be met with fearsome resistance. Cutting into their profit margins are dangerous and murky waters to wander around in, I’m sure. Nonetheless, the idea reads well on paper, and seems like a generally pleasing one to consider. The next benefit to your life is a double bonus. Not only does not driving eliminate your chances of having to pay for speeding tickets, parking tickets, tickets for old tags or burnt-out tail lights, it practically removes the police from your life altogether—assuming your daily life consists of legal activity, that is. In your car, a police officer’s judgment over you is all powerful. Since cars are large and potentially lethal objects, our legal system has given law-enforcement wide latitude of insisting on safe-driving measures, which I wholeheartedly applaud. Drive safely and you won’t be pulled over, is the thinking there. Yet, it is uncommon for any person to drive a car throughout their lives and remain unscathed by the police. Drive long enough, and you will be in violation of something or other at some point and you will likely receive a ticket or worse for your mishap. Not driving allows you to never be fined, or even jailed for the way you traverse along the planet—assuming you respect cross-walks, and stay PainterTeam:Layout 1 1/10/2011 3:45 PM Page 1 Buying or selling . . . nearby cities. The Japanese system Shinkansen, is 1,528 miles long and reaches speeds over 180 mph. Imagine the entire Midwest connected by something similar: Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington, Indianapolis, Columbus, and Dayton. If you live in Cincinnati, you could work at any of these cities and your entire commute might take only one hour. You would take the local light-rail to the bullet-train downtown, and then take the other city’s light-rail to your job wherever that may be. That sounds like a daunting amount of commuting, no? More than two hours every day on public transit? Then work on top of that? No way, you say. Well, depending on your job, there’s a chance you can work on the train itself— in this vision, they are wireless-ready. If not, you can read, sleep, write your own manifesto, and get to know someone else on the train, or just gaze out of the window at the passing landscape. What you aren’t is stuck in traffic, road-raging and cramming down a hurried breakfast, all while trying to arrange a conferencecall to get a jump on the day’s workload. If your job in Louisville is losing its luster and there’s a tempting position open in Columbus, with bullet-trains and light-rail you don’t have to move your home to go after it. Satellite Grocery Stores The whole idea of work is to secure food and shelter, everything else we have is bonus. That’s why the car, when it comes all the way down to it, is a hunting tool used to procure food. Not only do we use it to get the funds used for food, See Move Ahead, P. 10 The Painter Team - For all your real estate needs, call: Michael D. Painter, e-Pro, REOS, SFR 513.348.7999 Candace Kadivnik Painter, CRS, ABR 513.266.1025 - Painting the town sold . . . �10 Opinion STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Move Ahead or Get Left Behind. ­ Continued from P. 8 we also actually “hunt” with it by bringing food back to our caves. Without a car, obtaining food becomes a little trickier. With a car culture…one where every adult is expected to drive a car, the giant box-stores with hundreds of parking spaces and thousands of products inside make sense. If people need to drive to get things, why make them drive all over when they can get all of their stuff in one place? Fine, but that’s about the only thing that makes sense about them. First off, if more people are moving back to the city, it means they’re moving away from the big stores. The problem with big stores in denser urban areas is that they take up too much space, so companies can’t just tear down whatever is in the way to build new ones. Yet, if less people are driving to and from work, than grocery shopping would need to happen in some other way than hitting up the superstore on the way home. We all know how our library system works. In Cincinnati, there are 42 branches that all belong to the same entity, but most of the collection resides at the Main Branch downtown. If you live miles away from the book you want, the library will put someone in a truck and deliver your book to you. This can work with groceries too. With an improved public-transit system comes more stops. These stops can become small-business hubs as foot-traffic would exponentially increase in the area. If a major grocery chain, like Cincinnati’s own local giant Kroger, were to set up small satellite stores designed to facilitate previously ordered grocery bundles, then a person could order their groceries online before noon and have their stuff waiting for them as the exit their train at the end of the day. These orders would be smaller, enough food for only a day or two for the whole family, but could be repeated multiple times a week. Not only would it make grocery shopping doable for the permanent or even occasional pedestrian, it has hidden added benefits like purchasing, cooking and eating fresher foods, which assists with a healthy diet, promotes learning to cook for one’s self, and, in theory, supports local produce growers. If the grocery sector found success with this kind of model, then other everyday-need businesses like pharmacies, liquor and hardware stores might try and prop themselves upon this idea and move closer to transit stops too. Eventually, with enough people passing buy, preexisting small-businesses in the area would benefit as well, and suddenly, there are enough birthdays between the major holidays to keep little gift shops above water and even allow small bakeries and florists to stay alive. From what I’ve seen, the longest-standing smallbusinesses succeed thanks to foot traffic and the best way to increase that traffic is to get people out of their cars. Quality-of-Life Benefits Walking is good for you. If you live eight blocks from the closest stop, then that means you’re walking 16 blocks a day and that’s healthier than walking from house to car to work to car to house every day. Not to mention that the average American misses out on an abundance of sunshine because of this kind of reclusive existence. Some people may think they are safer in their cars than on public transit or walking the streets, but that philosophy is predicated on fear. To assume that something bad will happen to you outside of your car, is assuming you are a victim who is only waiting to meet your assailant. If there were more people walking the streets, with all those eye-witnesses everywhere, wouldn’t the public be safer? The truth is, not everyone walking the streets wants to kill you. In fact, most don’t. People in cars, though, sure are in a hurry to do some kind of personal damage on one another. Once in their cars, many people are in a dreadful hurry to the point where they perform dangerous, potentially lethal maneuvers to get where ever they’re going faster. For some reason, the average person has constructed this facade of impervious safety while in their cars and regularly insists on testing the boundaries of their invincible egg by paying attention to so many things other than driving. If the generations of Americans continue to hurdle toward ADHD ruination, how good of an idea is it to insist they operate heavy machinery? None at all, which is why they’re making cars that drive themselves. Remove the idiot without removing the idiot’s wallet, in a sense. The fact that humanity is able to pilot themselves around in cars with somewhat minimal carnage and misery often astonishes me. Human beings are more famous for their mistakes than of their triumphs, yet highways and parkways hum along fairly unimpeded. So that proves that people can make a sport of it and still survive to some degree, but it also means that they willfully undergo heaping spoonfuls of stress and anger too. Road rage is a strange animal. I have seen the most sane, mild-mannered individual become a frothing storm of threats and profanity toward his fellow drivers when hoisted behind the wheel. Many times, drivers are all too eager to intimidate while in the “safety” of their cars. Everybody is a tough guy on the road, but those same people would not say a peep if someone cut them off while walking. Perhaps that’s because no one gets too hurt if two people bump into one another while walking, but that’s exactly my point. On a bus, or a train, everyone travels together at the same speed heading in the same direction. There is no competition and few ways to accidentally kill yourself or others while riding public transit. Rather than individuals floating along in their reclusive bubbles of steel and speed, masses of people, strangers, are forced to pack close together and, in some way, interact with one another. That sounds more like a society to me; one where a person is forced to admit that other people live in his or her country too. The other nice thing about not driving is, of course, not driving. The physical act, I mean. Not only do you not need to pay close attention to anything for too long, you can do fun stuff like read a book, or text everyone you know or explain to your kid how the moon lights up at night. Or, look out the window to enjoy the scenery rather than look through it to avoid crashing. Every now and again on public transit, someone gets really annoying and distracts you from the fun stuff, but being occasionally annoyed without any truly harmful affect is probably a valuable lesson in cultivating patience in this world. Maybe not, but the point is, nobody gets hurt, or seldom do. The Cost This little utopia is far from a reality, and in fact, the US is still a very conservative place. The first thing everybody wants to know is how a new form of public transportation gets paid for, and when I tell them taxes, most quit listening. The idea that a taxpayer funds the greater good is one only found in storybooks and Europe. The word socialism smells bad in this country and any collective government-funded projects are met with fierce resistance and furious criticism typically from the right-wing. Most Americans are short-sighted in that they only care what their next paycheck reads. Take away from that number without giving them something they can own and not share, and they panic. If you’re a person with a job, congratulations, you’re doing better than nine percent of the population. If you’re among that nine percent, a big ambitious infrastructure-improvement program like a radically renewed rail system could spell out work for you. Though mismanaged funding can often lead to abandonment before any ground-breaking ceremony. It’s true that the government can be the biggest bum of them all and that politicians do little else than comfort themselves and their “positions” and “interests”, and that a big project like this becomes the property of big government—a phrase that is these days typically murmured with a strong dose of venom behind it. And I share, to some degree; these concerns with those Americans who feel that too many good ideas are needlessly wasted away in the administrative phases of a project, but that can’t end the ambition. We, as citizens and tax-payers, should demand more transparency and have the intentionally complicated legal jargon clearly explained so that third-graders can understand the concepts behind government reasoning. We should insist that the public be updated in a forthright manner on all the happenings in Washington and all the way down to the smallest of city halls. It’s up to us, however, to care. Not only care for ourselves and family, but for our neighbors and their families. Helping everyone, in turn helps us. I feel we’ve lost sight of that. Conclusion If it’s true that more young people in the future will rather stay close to the city and resist the temptation of urban flight, then those cities who prepare for such a lifestyle choice will be the survivors. I know that Cincinnati isn’t often called progressive and that there exists a large populace who bristle at the idea of change, but this fair town will become even harder to prosper if it doesn’t get onboard to some kind of public-transit system in the next decade or so. A century or so ago, Cincinnati built subway tunnels only to run out of money after eight miles of track and those tunnels have been vacant ever since. The city was a burgeoning metropolis then ready to explode with commerce and population, but after the subway debacle, Chicago became the crown jewel of the Midwest instead. I feel the Queen City has never fully recovered from that blunder and that the seed of the failure still resonates in the minds of its citizens. Seeing the tunnels left to rot has made these people gun-shy of similar risks that could propel Cincinnati toward the top or sink them farther behind. The right-wing thinkers and doers of the area have ridden this wave of momentum to effectively shoot down nearly any and all public-transit initiatives that would benefit the city. Finding employment isn’t likely to get much easier in the years to come and more and more companies will continue to cut back on payroll. To make our city, even our nation, a more viable place to prosper and find happiness, a large, collective effort of public-transportation must get underway soon. In a future with less natural resource and less commodities, we will need to rely more on one another and that means more sharing. Soon, joblessness and poverty won’t be just your problem or my problem, it will be our problem, and the later we recognize this social phenomena, the harder it will be to catch up to the cities with systems already in place. Just this time, let’s be a proactive city rather than a reactionary one. As a group, let’s acknowledge that some changes will be required for a better future and that some of these changes will be expensive and sweeping. By shifting the way we move around our planet, we have the chance of being the frontrunners of a new way of life, an alternative with endless benefit. A new system that works would bring more people to the area, including more business, and, in turn, lower the public cost to taxpayers. Not only would it help the local wealthy business moguls by bringing in more money to the area, it would also greatly help the disenfranchised people of our city by providing them a larger sphere of job possibilities. Lower-income families could live with just one car per household and give them the means to take more day-trips and other family vacations. Teens and the elderly could navigate themselves around more safely and lower medical costs associated with auto-accidents and other health ailments that come with driving. If this is to ever happen, you and I, the skin and bones that make our city a city, need to start warming up to the idea. We cannot sit on our hands and watch the world get out of their cars and pass us by. A new dawn is on the horizon. This can either be an era of innovation and alternative thinking, or one of stubborn resistance and financial bleakness. So I beg of you: get out of your cars and get on board, because the world is moving that way even if you aren’t. It can be scary plunging headfirst into the unknown future, but it seems far more miserable sitting around and waiting for the lights to shut off. So far as I know, you get one life on one planet, might as well seize it with both hands. Move ahead or get left behind. WANT MORE STREETVIBES? | CHECK OuT THE STREETVIBES BLOG http://streetvibes.wordpress.com STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 11 International News Rape in Zimbabwe: Perspectives and realities A woman is meant to fulfill all of her husband’s desires, even when she doesn’t feel like it,” said Primrose Mukumba, a vendor at a Harare flea market. She believes there is no such thing as rape within marriage. fungai Machirori The belief is widespread in Zimbabwe, according to the Musasa Project, an NGO providing support to survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), and is a serious deterrent to women accessing their services. “Unfortunately, most married women do not perceive it as rape,” said Musasa Project Executive Director Netty Musanhu. “They will just talk about the consequences of the incident, for example contracting HIV. It’s only when you explore further how they got the virus that they then say that their husbands forced themselves onto them. That’s when you realize that they have been raped.” Medical journal PLoS Medicine recently reported that Zimbabwe’s HIV epidemic had almost been halved in the past several years, a huge success in a region of mostly bad news when it comes to HIV and AIDS. However, in what is already a feminized epidemic (In 2009 UNAIDS estimated that 60 percent of HIV-positive Zimbabweans were female), rape puts more Zimbabwean women at risk of contracting the virus. Centres such as the Adult Rape Clinic (ARC) in Harare provide rape survivors with services that include medical examinations, HIV counseling and testing, emergency contraceptives (ECP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). ARC also collects forensic evidence and fills out medical affidavits for use in criminal investigations. ARC saw more than 450 rape survivors between March 2009, when it opened its doors, and mid-2010. It is the only such centre for adult rape survivors (16 years and above) in Harare. Statistics from ARC showed that 70 percent of survivors who visited the clinic were females in the 17-25 age bracket, one of the most vulnerable age groups to HIV infection. Overall, one in ten clients seen by ARC tests positive for HIV. The majority (two-thirds) of ARC’s rape cases are committed by a partner or relative; known as acquaintance rape. The challenge with reporting this type of rape is that women face physical and social stigma and face being disowned or abused by their family if they do speak up. “It would be much easier to mobilize help for rape victims if the majority of Zimbabweans believed that the victim is not to blame,” observed marketing consultant Tafadzwa Dihwa. “Our conservative attitude to taboo subjects is very wrong.” “At times, our culture extenuates rape. Just think of chiramu and how a husband nowadays can fondle the breasts of his wife’s sister. That’s criminal!” said Anesu Katere, a former teacher. Traditionally, chiramu refers to Gender links_ popular perspectives on rape Source: Colleen Lowe Morna, Gender Links the goodwill expressed between a man and the relatives of his wife. The man may take to playfully calling his wife’s younger sister his second wife. But this goodwill can be abused and a man may sexually harass the woman in the belief that he is entitled to her body since she is the “other” wife. The blame debate extends into the role that provocative attire plays in precipitating rape. “She’s showing the men a sign about what she’s come for,” said Nobert Zhuwao, a cell phone credit vendor, when asked about what he thought of women who visit bars in miniskirts. “Men are visual and are easily excited. And in a bar where there is alcohol and drugs, a woman must know that!” Zhuwao’s friend, Harmony Savanhu, added that in a state of sexual stimulation a man could not be held responsible for his actions. “If we’ve decided to have sex and the girl changes her mind at the last minute, then she’s wrong,” said Savanhu. When it’s up (the penis), its ready!” Originally published by Gender Links opinion and commentary service © Street News Service �STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Most Unlikely to Succeed ­ Chapter One donald Whitehead L ooking back, I suppose I should have been nervous. In fact, I guess I should have been very nervous. I should have figured that what was about to happen shouldn’t have been happening at all. I should have assumed I was dreaming, hallucinating, or having an extreme bout of wishful thinking. I should have reasoned that the Donald Whitehead I had always been, the Donald Whitehead that I knew so well, would have had no business at such a place at such a time. That Donald Whitehead would have been an interloper or kitchen help; that Donald Whitehead would have been approached by security or the police and given only seconds to explain why he was there and what he had in mind. But the truth is, I was there; I was there legitimately, and people were treating me as if I had every right to be there. Donald Whitehead was, as I came to learn, “on the list.” And, of course, I really was nervous. Not in the sense of panic or having my knees knock, but of that inner apprehension as to what might happen that day; that sooner rather than later, someone in authority would come up to me with an expression of superiority on his or her face and I would immediately be out the door, booted as the fraud I really was. Even though I knew that that was not to be the case, old habits and old self-doubts really do die hard. The photographer was a surprise, though. I had hardly expected that anyone would want any sort of a visual record or even that I might have the chance to request such a record. But there the photographer was, explaining to me how many shots he would be taking, assessing what problems I might present, and then disappearing, not to have any interaction with me until I saw the event’s photographs some weeks later and wanted to order pictures. Following the photographer, a young staffer approached to check that the information they had for me was correct, including the pronunciation of my name, which I would have thought to be obvious. Satisfied, he headed for the next guest, and his place was taken by another staffer (apparently half the people in Washington D.C. are on someone’s staff ), who put his hand on my shoulder and begin gently guiding me into an appropriate position, as well as giving me the protocol for what was about to happen – “please, don’t reach for anything, and keep your hands out of your pocket,” and telling me how long I could expect to wait. And I did wait. Waiting is a way of life in Washington, much like in the military, and you learn rather quickly that Washington is a city where important things really do happen, and the necessity of dealing with important matters trumps everything and – almost – everybody. And, because of that, you learn to wait; you learn to master the art of small talk, the art of simply having something to say to pass the time. I talked to the people next to me; they were from the Department of Labor, and so we talked about jobs and poverty, about what programs might work and how, and why and what could realistically be done regarding legislative needs. I talked to someone behind me; she was new in DC, but had come from Kentucky, right across the river from my home in Cincinnati, where I had lived almost all my life. She asked about a constant topic in Washington for any new person: housing. Not housing for the poor, but rather, potential apartments, places to live, locations, traffic patterns, and above all the horrible, horrible rent rates that make life in the nation’s capital often seem beyond financial hope. After about twenty minutes, a more senior staffer (you learn to recognize not only who’s who, but at what level people work) came out and said we would be looking at approximately thirty to forty minutes still more, and that we should make ourselves comfortable and we were not to leave. The lady from Kentucky made a joke as to who would ever consider leaving, and I laughed, but not too much for I would have been determined to wait out the whole night if I had had to. Strangely enough, the call came sooner rather than later. Yet another staffer walked out, holding a clipboard, much like a quarterback on a sideline. He motioned us forward, with the two Labor people leading the way, and me following the lady from Kentucky. The room would probably have been best described as a small greeting room, attached to a larger office, and that office attached to the remaining areas of the home itself. As we entered, I saw the four men in dark suits move quickly but smoothly, in what was obviously a practiced pattern, heading for, and then opening a second door across from where we had entered. The staffer with the clipboard put his hand on the elbow of the first of the Department of Labor people and gently maneuvered him more to the center of the room. We followed and stood waiting. There were no chairs, although various pieces of furniture did line the left wall of the room, under a huge mirror. I remember licking my lips as we waited, and I remember rubbing my hands together. But it was only a minute before the men in the dark suits fanned out to flank the opposite door just as yet another staffer, obviously an even more senior person, entered through that door. He quickly stepped to the side, as yet another man walked in. This man stood still for only an instant before he began what must have been for him a long-perfected litany: “Lady and gentlemen, please give your attention…. The last man to enter was pretty much exactly as I had seen on the television and in the hundreds of pictures, although a bit taller and a bit heavier than I had guessed. He thanked us briefly for coming, and then began what struck me as a fairly impassioned series of quick comments on the shame that America had to feel given that so many of its citizens were poor, homeless, unemployed, or all three. He promised that he would personally see to it that something was done about this disgrace. When he finished speaking, the two Department of Labor people were introduced to him and he spoke with them for at least a couple of minutes; the lady from Kentucky (I later learned she was with HUD) received slightly less time, and then it was my turn. I stepped forward, smiled, and suddenly had only one thought in my mind: again, that this could not possibly be true, that this could not possibly be happening. Not to Donald Whitehead, not to the man who had lain on the floor of an emergency shelter in Cincinnati, Ohio, not to the man who had been so desperate and homeless. But it was happening. I stepped forward, smiled, and put out my hand. “Mr. President,” the staffer said, “let me introduce to you, Mr. Donald Whitehead, the Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless.” And I stepped forward and shook the hand of President William Jefferson Clinton, and we began to speak, as if we were old friends, about homelessness in the United States of America. Later in the evening, I had a chance to speak with Hilary Clinton as well, and I was tremendously impressed at how knowledgeable she was about homelessness. We talked and I was astonished as she really seemed to listen to what I was saying. Listening to Donald Whitehead, listening far more attentively than others had listened to me when I had been a homeless addict in the gutters of Cincinnati. When I left the Clinton Home that evening, I felt as if I had become somehow a different person; I felt as if the Donald Whitehead who had left the office of the National Coalition on Homelessness to go to the Clinton Home had been transformed; had become someone who was different in some new and invigorating way. I felt somehow raised up, somehow changed. And yet, I knew in the deepest recesses of both my heart and my mind, that that was not the truth. For I realized then, as I do now, that I was the very same Donald Whitehead as I had ever been. I realized, in fact, that I was the same Donald Whitehead, who had lain on the floor of the DropInn Center, on 12th Street, in Cincinnati, completely drunk, unable to get up, and unable to take care of himself. And it had not been that many years earlier. That had been in 1995, six years before I went to the home of Bill and Hilary Clinton as Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. Six years before I was invited to the home of a former President and his wife, the sitting United States Senator from New York, I had needed to sleep on the floor of an emergency shelter and had awakened with the knowledge that I remembered little if anything of the night before and that my life was a complete and devastating shambles. Looking back, as I walked away from my evening with Bill and Hilary Clinton, the one point that came to me again and again was thinking about those terrible nights in the Drop-Inn Center, and above all thinking about the path that the years had set me on between the Drop Inn Shelter and the Clinton Household. How was it --- indeed, how could it have been – that the very same Donald Whitehead who had slept with alcohol on his breath and on his clothing in an emergency shelter could be the Donald Whitehead invited to the home of a President and Senator? Was it the hand of God that had reached out and, in some strange way, chosen me for the position I had reached? Or was it something that I had done myself? Had I found inside of me some inner strength, some inner will? Or was it the kindness and support of others? Was it an attitude and a commitment I had made? Or was it simply good fortune, being in the right spot at the right time? Was it fate? Was it Providence? Was it strength? In the years that have passed, I’ve had time to think about such things over and over and consider not only what my answer was that night, but how that answer has changed with the years, and with the new tasks and challenges I’ve undertaken. I’ve had time to look closely at myself and to examine the steps that I took and the steps others pushed me to take; I’ve thought about the things that I did for myself and the events that I could never have predicted. And, above all, I feel that I’ve learned a few things, not only about Donald Whitehead, but about struggle, challenge, and desperation and the ways that I and other individuals have faced up to these foes. I’ve learned about opportunity, and I have things I want to say about the opportunities that each man or woman has in their lives, and the roll that recognizing opportunity plays in each person’s success. I’ve learned about fear and hopelessness, too; and I have a number of things I want to say about those two enemies of the human spirit as well. And so, I’ve written this book. I’ve written it not only to tell people about Donald Whitehead (although I do hope you will find my story an interesting one), but also to tell people a little something about themselves. I want my story to be an uplifting one. I want my story to describe truthfully what I once was, and I want people to see what I became, not so that I should seem important, but rather that the possibilities for other men and women should seem important. We are all people of different skills, people of different fears, different beliefs. We are all people with many problems, and in the lowest of our moments, we are people who believe we have few solution to those problems. I want to address those lowest moments in the light of what Donald Whitehead once was, in the Drop Inn Center. I want to address those fears in light of the terror I felt when I woke up night after night in an emergency shelter on a cold floor, surrounded by our society’s outcasts. And I want to address opportunity in light of the positions I have held. But above all, I want to address hope. Above all, I want anyone who reads this book to know that there is always hope. I want everyone who reads this book to take away from these pages a genuine belief that with determination and a lot of courage, a great many great things are indeed possible. No one’s life is ever totally hopeless. And that is what this book is really about. About The Author: Donald Whitehead spent five years between various relatives and the streets of Cincinnati. Due to the disease of addiction he found himself trapped in the terrible realities of homelessness. In August of 1995 he made his way to the Drop Inn Center where he entered the center’s six-month treatment program. After completing the program, Whitehead was hired as the outreach coordinator he created a public radio program, a community access cable television show and a newspaper all focused on homelessness. He served for two years as the outreach coordinator of that organization. Whitehead worked to get people experiencing homelessness involved in local planning processes. Whitehead created the “Homeless Think Tank” to help the city of Cincinnati develop its strategy for providing services to the homeless population. The homeless think tank model is now officially incorporated in the Continuum of Care process in the city of Cincinnati and has been used as a best practice example in communities across the United States. Whitehead created innovative models for service provision including a program that provides transportation for family transitioning out of homeless. Whitehead served for two years as the Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Under Whitehead’s leadership the Greater Cincinnati Coalition membership grew from twenty members to over seventy active members. STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Story & Poetry Corner 13 A Peaceful Place Intel Willa d. Jones Jordan antoine Wilson There’s a place I go to on different days of every week The hate crimes against my intelligence are growing intolerable I live in a land of one billion sheep Who’s wool is constantly trying to be pulled Over my eyes There are none so blind as those who will not see There are those who create the curriculum And the criteria for a passing grade However, these same disregard the very scale On which they grade when the work is completed And turned in The only thing worse is that one can still feel The need to perform for such ringmasters But alas I will forever keep my head on a swivel Or at least try And I will keep something dear to me on a pedestal. That something is my intelligence, for it is my umbrella On a rainy day 4-6-10 Where I can learn about making things that all kinds of l people seek I learn to make jewelry; I learn how to knit and to even play with clay I learn all sorts of things and if I want, I can stay and learn all day This place is open to women from all walks of everyday life In this place you can find peace of mind from the world’s toils and strife We come together and talk to find solutions for so many different problems As we knit and make jewelry we pray for God’s help with our problems to be able to solve them This place is called the Sarah Center here in downtown Vine Street Who would ever believe this place of peace would be located right off the downtown beat I have been blessed to find the Sarah Center and meet all the Sarah Center Girls I just wish that there were more places of this statue all over the world So I hope I can just pass the blessing on to those who may be lonely and bored And be able to open the door to those lost souls who feel their being ignored Come into the Sarah Center and meet all the many women of different cultures and pray That your day may be fulfilled by the grace of God in the Sarah Center each and everyday The Poet’s Justice Jordan antoine Wilson If justice can be poetic, Then where is my play? All the pretty face followers, Who swoon at the words I say? Let it trickle down from the mountains. Let it rise from the gutter. Let my tongue stay untangled, So my mouth will never stutter. Roll it up in your palm. Pack it up well. Let my words be a story, You won’t hesitate to tell. I need a bank for these thoughts, Because the pennies come in rolls. A nickel for a sandwich, And a few dollars for me to fold. 1-28-11 a 12 Interest S Y WHAT?! Gloria Steinem at news conference, Women's Action Alliance, 1972 In Honor Of Women’s History Month “I have met brave women who are exploring the outer edge of human possibility, with no history to guide them, and with a courage to make themselves vulnerable that I find moving.” -Gloria Steinem �14 Sightings ­ STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 ­ Congratulations Judge Painter! Shelter: Women and Children Cincinnati judge holds court at United Nations Bethany House Press release froM the ohio Bar association Judge Mark Painter of Cincinnati is one of seven judges, and the only American, to serve on a new internal justice system within the United Nations. Painter says the position came about after he answered a want ad for the new U.N. Appeals Tribunal. “I sent my resume to an e-mail listed in the ad, thinking, ‘They want seven people from the whole world and I’ll never hear anything more from this.’” To his surprise, Judge Painter was contacted. The vetting process ended with a vote by the U.N. General Assembly. Judge Painter is preparing to attend the fourth session of the court, to be held Feb. 28-March 11 in New York City. The inaugural session was held last spring in Geneva, Switzerland, and two other sessions were held during 2010 in New York. Cases have included disputes over promotions, discipline, and pensions. The court is internationally diverse, with judicial representatives from France, Argentina, Ghana, India, Uruguay and Ireland. Judge Painter says the judges get along quite well. “At first, there was a concern because four of us are from common law countries and three are from civil law countries. But we haven’t had any problem harmonizing and coming to the right conclusions on the cases.” He adds that out of the first 100 cases decided last year, there have been only two dissents. The judges will have nonrenewable seven-year terms, but because Judge Painter is among those appointed for an initial term of three years, he may be re-appointed for seven more years when the current term concludes next year. Judge Painter was an elected trial and appellate judge for 27 years. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University Of Cincinnati College Of Law, where he earned his law degree in 1973. He has also been a speaker for Ohio State Bar Association continuing legal education courses on the art of legal writing. The Ohio State Bar Association, founded in 1880, is a voluntary association representing approximately 25,000 members of the bench and bar of Ohio as well as nearly 4,000 legal assistants and law students. Through its activities and the activities of its related organizations, the OSBA serves both its members and the public by promoting the highest standards in the practice of law and the administration of justice. A video interview with Judge Painter is available on the Ohio State Bar Association’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ohiobar. Central Access Point Cincinnati union Bethel St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside 535-2719 591-2246 381-SAFE 768-6907 FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 762-5660 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 562-8841 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 458-6670 977-4489 Treatment: Men Other Resources Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House 241-0490 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-4663 Treatment: Both 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 united Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn Our Daily Bread AA Hotline CCAT Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-0111 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 621-5514 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 961-4080 Peaslee Neighborhood Center Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart First Step Home Anthony House (Youth) 241-2600 241-2563 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 661-4620 Shelter: Both Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-2256 Treatment: Women 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 921-1613 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Justice Watch St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House Drop Inn Center Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 721-4700 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Street410x:Layout 1 5/7/2010 2:47 PM Page 1 Compliments of � Judge Mark Painter United Nations Appeals Tribunal, 2009– # Ohio Court of Appeals, 1995–2009 # Hamilton County Municipal Court, 1982–1995 # Judging strictly on merit for 29 years � www.judgepainter.org Paid for by the Judge Painter Cte., Paul Gaffney, CPA, Treas., 5086 Wooster Road · Cincinnati, OH 45226 Cartoon: Washington “Park” By: Eddie Sun 15 Resources ­ STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Column STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Who Decides What Is Good or Equal ­ In her art, Kim Shifflett questions arbitrary boundaries In undergrad, older that most of her classmates, she felt less free, having to juggle her role as wife and mother with her study demands and aspirations for a professional career. A recurrent theme in Kim Shifflett’s artwork is that of boundaries. They range from boundaries imposed by societal rules and expectations, delineating roles and behaviors in such matters as gender, relationships, families, deciding good from bad, to actual physical borders that separate and isolate people, leading to poverty, violence and conflict. “At home I was always expected to do the ‘women chores’, cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids, tending to everyone else’s needs,” she says. “I always came last. People would even make me feel selfish for wanting to be in school.” In a traditional society built mostly around men’s convenience, she found herself fighting for her Kim Shifflett in her studio. Photo by Saad Ghosn interests, having constantly to redefine She did colorful paintings of black-eyed and assert who she was. The theme of Susan, corn flowers, other ‘weed’ flowers she had By saad ghosn feminism then permeated her work. encountered, one painting for each month from Contributing writEr She did a series of semi-abstract spring to early winter. She used on purpose very paintings on relationships, women in large canvasses to draw in the viewer and give the family, all the push-and-pull they added importance to their subject. Born in Champaign, IL, Shifflett grew up in daily experience. The images were based on round Halfway through grad school, Shifflett went Las Cruces, NM, near Ciudad Juarez on the other balls, one of them representing her; they would back to visit her parents in Las Cruces. Wanting side of the Mexican divide. It was at a time when also be accompanied by statements to clarify her to return like in the old good times to Ciudad flow between the 2 countries was welcome and message. Juarez she was strongly discouraged by her sister safe and when crossing the border was a daily In Tomato Soup Family, for instance, she is a who shared with her the ongoing violence in the enjoyable adventure; she often accompanied her big red ball at the bottom, pushed away by 2 other border town, the hundreds of working women friends and mother to party or shop on Mexican balls on the top, one being her husband, the other found dead for no reason, the daily killings due to soil. Shifflett was also interested in art very early her daughter. the drug wars, the desperate prevailing poverty. on, drawing constantly, her talents encouraged by She was appalled not to have heard about it on the She later expanded her series to address more teachers and family. news. Doing her research she discovered the truth specifically her relationship of the new reality and embarked on a new series of with her teenage daughter. paintings, Borderlands. They were both struggling for independence, yet her daughter Her large and somber painting Trash Town is a demanding, needy and commentary on the effect of NAFTA on the lives rebellious at the same time. The of hundreds of thousands of Mexicans who, in abstract paintings in the series order to find better paying jobs, relocated to the were done using Elmer’s glue border cities where new factories had opened. and graphite, Elmer’s glue in her Unfortunately they were met with inexistent mind associated with the school infrastructure, no electricity, water or sewage, and classroom, thus connected to ended up living among trash in shanty towns, the her daughter. for-profit companies not concerned with their well-being. In I Hate You Mom but Can You Please Take Me and My The killing Field was based on the massacre of Friends to the Mall, she reflects 73 to-be illegal immigrants who, before reaching on the expectations and tasks the USA, were kidnapped by drug cartels, held for she’s supposed to meet just ransom and killed, their families not able to pay. for being a mother; and in Trapped is in response to the escalating violence Stony Silence because I Said in bordering towns, people becoming prisoners No, related to not letting her in their own homes, trapped and squeezed 14 year old daughter go to between an obstructive border fence, terrorizing a slumber party at a 16 year drug lords, daily danger, and poverty. It was also old boy’s house, on how these related to similar imagery and background she expectations were only used had experienced on a recent trip to the West Bank, when they suited her child. Palestinians impeded in their daily living by a big Between undergrad and grad dividing wall, numerous checkpoints, long lines school, Shifflett worked on and queues, omnipresent occupation. Shifflett another series related to flowers had travelled to the Middle East to help Bedouin usually considered weeds. women improve their weaving technique and find Travelling down the interstate opportunities to better market their product. to get to her studio she would ‘We’re all alike,” says Shifflett. “Women, often admire along the way Trapped, oil painting. Painting and Photo by Kim Shifflett environment, border conflicts, are universal large patches of beautiful and issues that touch all of us. When I disagree with colorful flowers jut to find them the following day something, I use my art to raise awareness, start At the age of 18 she left New Mexico, settled for mowed away. and facilitate a dialogue, hopefully promote few years in Tucson, AZ, moved to Lexington, KY, “I felt every time violated,” she says, “like if change. My art is compassionate. I strongly and then finally to Cincinnati, OH. Along the way someone was deliberately destroying my favorite identify with immigrants who leave their country she married twice, bore children, learned to weave garden. Why would a flower in a certain setting wanting better chance, education and living; with and knit, started a needlework design business, has value and beauty and in others not. Who burdened women and mothers; with devalued pursued her art education. She earned a BFA decides what is good or equal? Unfortunately ‘weed’ flowers; with ‘invisible’, victimized degree from the Art Academy of Cincinnati and by drawing arbitrary lines, our society often individuals in our society.” a MFA degree in painting from the University of contributes to abusive control and prejudice.” Cincinnati. Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource March 1-14, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cincinnati Women Making Her Story Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: Homeless Congress Pg 4: Cincinnati Women Making Her Story Continued Pg 5: Cincinnati Women Making Her Story Continued Pg 6: Cincinnati Women Making Her Story Continued Pg 7: Cincinnati Women Making Her Story Continued Pg 8: Move Ahead or Get Left Behind Pg 9: Feed Me Seymour Pg 10: Move Ahead or Get Left Behind Continued Pg 11: Rape in Zimbabwe: Perspectives and Realities Pg 12: Most Likely to Succeed Pg 13: Poetry Pg 14: Congratulations Judge Painter! Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Who Decides What is Good or Equal? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 1-14, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Elizabeth Schulenberg Donald Whitehead B. Clifton Burke Pearla Kinne Jordan Antoine Wilson Riccardo Taylor Saad Ghosn Jeni Jenkins Willa Denise Jones Fungai Machirori Anthony Williams Amiee Willhoite Saad Ghosn Pearla Kinne Colleen Lowe Morna Eddie Sun GCCH Staff Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Amiee Willhoite Anthony Williams B. Clifton Burke Cincinnati Colleen Lowe Morna Donald Whitehead Eddie Sun Elizabeth Schulenberg Fungai Machirori GCCH Staff Herstory Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jordan Antoine Wilson Judge Painter Kim Shifflett Pearla Kinne Rape Riccardo Taylor Saad Ghosn United Nations Willa Denise Jones Women Zimbabwe https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/9acc241b48ef67d24743fddae133f79d.pdf 6ef5f0fb2d238d321b1afc6f56da9e64 PDF Text Text Van Jones: Pg 8 An intimate conversation with a visionary for change Prison System Overhaul Pg 5 Feb. 15-28, 2011 • ADVOCATING JUSTICE Issue 193 • • One Dollar BUILDING COMMUNITY To so many African Americans, Cincinnati was a symbol of freedom, a place that once they reached their voices may finally be heard. We honor those who came before us; the brave men and women who made their ideas reality, who fought in the face of adversity, and those who dedicated their lives to equality. A Look at “the greatest local and political pioneer of race relations in the 20th century” Remembering the Legacy of Theodore Berry (1905-2000) By: Dr. Michael Washington Professor of history & Director of afro-aMerican stuDies, northern KentucKy university D uring the month of February, citizens of Cincinnati should take the time to honor and commemorate the extraordinary accomplishments of the greatest local and political pioneer of race relations in the 20th century, the Honorable Theodore M. Berry. After graduating class valedictorian from Woodward High School in 1924, Berry went to enroll in the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a law degree in 1931. A year later he was admitted to Ohio Bar and became the head of the Cincinnati Branch of the NAACP serving in that capacity until 1946.  In 1938 he was appointed the first black assistant prosecuting attorney for Hamilton County. His political career began in 1947, with an unsuccessful bid for City Council. Redemption came in 1949 when he won a Council seat and became chairman of the finance committee. From that position he led a controversial battle to create a city income tax.  In 1955, he was elected Vice Mayor of Cincinnati, which created fears among whites that he would become the first African American mayor to lead the city. That fear became real when almost two decades later in 1972, he was elected mayor of the city and served for four years. It is important for local citizens not to forget that Mayor Berry’s contributions to society are not restricted to the Cincinnati area but include the nation.  In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Berry to head the Office of Economic Opportunity’s Community Action Programs that included Head Start, Job Corps and Legal Services. Berry’s initiatives proved to be some of the most successful victories in President Johnson’s war on poverty. Source: www.libraries.uc.edu African American Achievements ­ B lack History Month originated in 1926 by Carter Godwin Woodson as Negro History Week. The month of February was chosen in honor of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, who were both born in that month. • C.B. Brooks invented the street sweeper in 1896. It was a truck equipped with brooms. • Henry Brown created what is now known as a “strongbox”, a metal container to store money and important papers that could be locked with a key. • Mark Dean along with his co-inventor Dennis Moelle created a microcomputer system with bus control means for peripheral processing devices. This invention allows the use of computer plug-ins like disk drives, speakers, scanners, etc... • African-American surgeon Charles R. Drew is often credited with the invention of the first large-scale blood bank. • Sarah E. Goode invented a bed that folded up into a cabinet in 1885. Contrary to popular belief, she was not the first African-American woman to receive a patent, but the second. • In 1899, African-American golf fan Dr. George Franklin Grant received a patent for the world’s first golf tee. Grant, however, never marketed his invention, instead giving the tees away to friends and fellow golfers. • Thomas L. Jennings was the first AfricanAmerican to receive a patent in 1821. It was for a dry-cleaning process in 1821. He used the money earned from the patent to purchase relatives out of slavery and support abolitionist causes. • Frederick Jones held over 60 patents, with most of them pertaining to refrigeration. His portable air conditioner was used in World War II to preserve medicine and blood serum. • Dr. Maulana Karenga created the AfricanAmerican holiday, Kwanzaa, in 1966. • History has credited Thomas Edison with the invention of the light bulb, but fewer people know about Lewis Latimer’s innovations toward its development. Until Latimer’s process for making carbon filament, Edison’s light bulbs would only burn for a few minutes. Latimer’s filament burned for several hours. • Joseph Lee invented a bread-making machine that mixed the ingredients and kneaded the dough in 1895. • John Love invented the pencil sharpener in 1897. • Thomas J. Martin patented a fire extinguisher in 1872. • Bridget “Biddy” Mason founded the First African Methodist Episcopalian church in Los Angeles. • Alexander Miles of Duluth, Minnesota patented an electric elevator in 1887 with automatic doors that would close off the shaft way, thus making elevators safer. • George T. Sampson invented a clothes dryer that used heat from a stove in 1892. • Radio personalities Hal Jackson and Percy Sutton co-founded the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation (ICBC). They also acquired WLIB, which became the first African-American owned and operated station in New York. • Joseph Winters invented a fire escape ladder in 1878. • Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall said he was punished for misbehavior in school by being forced to write copies of the Constitution. He said this later piqued his interest in politics. • Buffalo Soldiers is the name given to the allblack regiments of the U.S. Army started in 1866. More than 20 Buffalo Soldiers received the highest Medal of Honor for their service—the highest number of any U.S. military unit. The oldest living Buffalo Soldier, Mark Matthews, died at the age of 111 in 2005. • For a time during his youth, future politician Barack Obamareferred to himself as “Barry.” Barack Obama won Best Spoken Word Album at the Grammy Awards for the abridged audio book of his autobiography Dreams from My Father and the nonfiction work, The Audacity of Hope. • In addition to her career in Washington D.C., Condoleezza Rice is an accomplished pianist See Achievements, P. 3 �2 Editorial ­ BY ThE ­ NUMBERS ­ 1969 The year “Die Nigger, Die” was published. This was a powerful auto biography by H. Rap Brown who was a revolutionary in the Black Power Movement as chairman of SNCC and ex- officio member of the Black Panther Party. (Page 5) 7-4-2011 The national campaign called 1Voice. It is aimed at uniting communities and working towards lifting people out of poverty. (Page 8) 23 The numbers of years Caracole has been involved in the HIV/AIDS Community in Ohio. (Page 6) 14 Years to life, the sentence for being convicted of a homosexual act in Uganda. (Page 10) 16 The amount of years Thomas and Mary Chapman have been playing music in Over the Rhine on Sundays. (Page 14) 14 The age Martin Zeinway came to the United States from Liberia. (Page 16) Streetwise I tried several times to sit down and write an editorial. I had a bunch of ideas though none could justify the celebration of this month. As a white girl in my twenties I can respect the struggle but my words can never truly justify the emotions of a people who had to fight tooth and nail for equality. I received a submission from one of our distributors; I will let him give his opinion on Black History Month as my editorial. Love, Peace, Equality Jen Martin, Editor My Salute to Black history Month ­ lee Mccoy streetviBes DistriButor anD contriButing Writer Mom and Dad: I wish you could have been there to see it, a historic moment. I remember when I was a little boy, ya’ll used to tell me “A black man will never be president”, and you had me believing that I would never see this happen in my lifetime. You didn’t get to see it, but I did. January 20, 2007, I saw what you thought would never happen, it was unbelievable. I remember back in 1968, I was a teenager and Cincinnati was on fire after the assassinationof MLK. I believe the term was “burn, baby burn!” Word spread, no pun intended, like wild fire. They had killed our greatest leader, MLK. All of Avondale was on fire. You see back then it wasn’t black men, it was a nigger. Here was a man who was preaching a simple beliefthat one day a man will be judged not by the color of his skin and we will be free at last, free at last. And even as you read this, there is so much prejudice today. In any city there is a Justice Center. Or as anyone in any hood calls it, the “Just for us” Center. Our founding fathers came here with a constitution, even today it’s a joke. There is a different set of laws and it’snot justice for all. Those who can pay, they will go free. I don’t have the actual number but common sense will tell you that all across the greatcountry there are more black people locked up than whites. I gave you the law of the land, you do the math. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out. 2 + 2 is still 4, or is it? Only in America it could be something else. Let’s look at something, in my mind the greatest heroeswere the slaves captured by their own brothers for some promise and then imprisoned by the very ones they helped. Hauled away in the belly of ships, where so many died and became shark food, all in the pursuit of this ‘Great America’. Where their sweat blood and tears on their backs. I don’t have to tell you who I am talking about, even Stevie Wonder can see this. They came to a new country where they had to learn a new language and they were taught greed through one simple response, “Yes Master”. The greatest of these people were the black women, fareand fine. The master would take them and the women had no say in the matter. This countrypromised 40 acres and a mule, big shit. Did ithappen? I think not. One thing I don’t understand, Black History month is in the shortest month of the year. Come on America, don’t you know that Black people celebrate when it’s hot…when we can barbeque, fixin; greens, and corn bread. Where the scent of food is everywhere, I love that smell. While I am talking about love, I have to remember February is also the month of Valentine’s Day. Love is supposed to be in the air, cupid shooting his arrow. I hope he is a good match maker and not just shooting happy. STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo.com Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Jen Martin, jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Art Director Elizabeth Schulenberg Contributing Writers Jeni Jenkins, Saad Ghosn, Lee McCoy, Jen Martin, Jim Luken, Josh Spring, Willa Jones, Corey Gibson, Laura Osborn-Coffey, Catie Dargue, Malcolm O. Varner, Riccardo Taylor, Justin Jeffre, Joe Opio, Dr. Michael Washington Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Jeni Jenkins, Jim Luken, Saad Ghosn, Rob Vinit Murthy, Martin Zeinway The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. �3 Local Issue ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 African American Achievements ­ Continued from page 1 who has accompanied cellist Yo-Yo Ma, played with soul singer Aretha Franklin, and performed for Queen Elizabeth II. A serious student, Condoleezza Rice entered college at the age of 15, and was an assistant professor at Stanford by age 26. • Before Branch Rickey offered future hallof-famer Jackie Robinson the contract that integrated professional baseball, he personally tested Robinson’s calm reactions to the racial slurs and insults he knew the player would have to endure. • After retiring from baseball, hall-of-famer Jackie Robinson helped establish the African-American owned and controlled Freedom Bank. • Reverend Al Sharpton preached his first sermon at the age of four, and toured with world-famous gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson. • Upon her death in 2003, singer Nina Simone’s ashes were spread across the continent of Africa, per her last request. • Phillis Wheatley was the first published AfricanAmerican poet with her 1774 collection, Poems on Various Subjects. In order to prove she was the author, she had to submit her work to examination by a group of Boston intellectuals, and defend her literary ability in court. • Before Forest Whitaker was a film star, he was accepted to the Music Conservatory at the University Of Southern California (USC) to study opera as a tenor. • NFL player John Williams competed in two Super Bowls before he quit the league to become a dentist. • Lewis and Clark were accompanied by York, a black slave, when they made their 1804 expedition from Missouri to Oregon. York’s presence aided in their interactions with the Native Americans they encountered. • The first major black super-hero, the Black Panther, made his debut in Fantastic Four No. 52 in July of 1966. • The banjo originated in Africa and up until the 1800s was considered an instrument only played by blacks. • According to the American Community Survey, in 2005 there were 2.4 million black military veterans in the United States -the highest of any minority group. • The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon honored Ira Aldridge with a bronze plaque. He is the only AfricanAmerican actor to receive this tribute. • BET was the first African-American controlled company to sell shares on the New York Stock Exchange. • In 1993, Maya Angelou recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration. She was the first poet to do an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost spoke for President John F. Kennedy in 1961. • Two years after she played the role of Dorothy Dandridge, the first African-American woman to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, Halle Berry actually became the first African-American woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress. • Dominique Dawes was the first AfricanAmerican to win an individual event medal in gymnastics. • In 1989, African-American David Dinkins, became the first non-white Mayor of New York City. • Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first rap group to earn induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. • The first African-American woman to make it into the U.S. Cabinet was Patricia Roberts Harris, the 1977 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. • Thurgood Marshall was the first AfricanAmerican to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. • Robert Robinson Taylor was the first professionally-educated black architect in the United States. • Booker T. Washington was the first AfricanAmerican invited to the White House. • On April 7, 1940, educator and author Booker T. Washington became the first African-American to be depicted on a United States postage stamp. • Oprah Winfrey became the first female U.S. billionaire in 2003. Street Life A Way of Life riccarDo taylor contriButing Writer h oW often Do We finD ourselves in a DileMMa, in Which We have no reaDy ansWers to correct or otherWise relieve ourselves froM? i WoulD suggest that in Most cases it is soMething that We never thinK aBout, yet there is a reality to its occurrence. often We encounter oBsta­ cles, or again DileMMas in our lives, anD We Put theM either asiDe, or on the BacK Burner, never seeKing relief or a reMeDy for the ProBleM, anD i WoulD suggest that it is inDeeD a ProBleM in Most instances. yet i finD it to Be in accorDance With the nature of Man to not vieW these occur­ rences as such. insteaD We looK uPon theM as just a MoMentary Delay, or MoMentary set BacK. hoWever, i realize that it is Much More than that, esPecially When the occurrence haPPens over anD over again! it BecoMes a Way to hanDle life’s situations, anD our Way of Dealing With aD­ versity. hoW easy is it for us to say that Was just one of the MoMents that We have to Deal With, insteaD of vieWing it for What it really is? Well, it’s just a way of life! Counting the up and downs as if they are equal. Taking everything in stride, as if the good and the bad are all one and the same. Some say it is what it is. Others just shrug and keep the step. Yet, for the majority of us it comes back to haunt us. Accepting things the way they are, when it’s not healthy or productive we tend to chalk it to the game. It becomes a way of life. To walk that walk or talk that talk, never looking ahead, or behind for that matter we tell ourselves, that’s life. Our reality is put on hold until the obscure takes its place and the whole thing is turned upside down. Life’s circumstances become a challenge beyond our ability to cope, so we just forge ahead with what ever comes along. It’s a way of life. So, in a Kafkvian way of thinking, does it appeal to the senses? The answer again lies in our perception. Is it a way of life, or perhaps the life of our ways? The unquestionable reality says that it is! As our perception goes so does our reality. Often we believe a thing, and it is our reality, yet there is another reality that says different. Knowing and respecting the difference is the key for understanding “a way of life”. The idea that our perceptions are different, and that our realities will be different is the crossroad that intercepts our contracts of community engagement. How easy is it for me to see that you are out of touch with the happenings, when you are thinking the exact same thing about me! So, as we both sulk in our own realities we search for ways and means to dislodge each other’s position. At odds with our ideas, concepts and realities we become unspoken enemies viewed with distrust and ambience towards one another we continue the charade of acceptance. It’s a way of life! Standing on one’s own principal, playing by one’s own rules giving no ground to the outsider, fraught with the suspicions, pressing the exclusion while giving that everlasting sneer concealed by a bright smile which says all are welcomed, but please don’t come. Riccardo Taylor Source: Aimie Willhoite �4 Local News ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Die Nigger Die! ­ Excerpts from the 1969 autobiography, Die Nigger Die! By h. raP BroWn M y first contact with white america was marked by her violence, for when a white doctor pulled me from between my mother’s legs and slapped my wet ass, I, as every other negro in america, reacted to this man-inflicted pain with a cry. A cry that america has never allowed to cease; a cry that gets louder and more intense with age; a cry that can only be heard and understood by others who live behind the color curtain. A cry? Or was it a scream? Whatever it was, we accepted it. I had been born in “america, the land of the free.” To insure my country’s freedom, my father was somewhere fighting, for this was a year of the second war to end all wars — World War II. This was October 4, 1943, and victory was in the air. The world would now be safe for democracy. But who would insure my freedom? Who would make democracy safe for Black people? America recognized long ago what negroes now examine in disbelief: every Black birth in america is political. With each new birth comes a potential challenge to the existing order. Each new generation brings forth untested militancy. America’s ruling class now experiences what Herod must have at the birth of “Christ”: “Go and search . . . and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.” America doesn’t know which Black birth is going to be the birth that will overthrow this country. The threat to america, however, does not exist in negro america, but rather as a result of negro america. If one examines the structure of this country closely he will note that there are three basic categories: they are white america, negro america, and Black america. The threat to the existing structure comes from Black america, which exists in contradiction to both white and negro america. It is the evolution of these contradictions that has given rise to the present revolutionary conditions. Revolution is indeed inevitable, and, as the cycle of change closes around america’s racist environment, the issue of color becomes more pertinent. Color is the first thing Black people in america become aware of. You are born into a world that has given color meaning and color becomes the single most determining factor of your existence. Color determines where you live, how you live and, under certain circumstances, if you will live. Color determines your friends, your education, your mother’s and father’s jobs, where you play, what you play and, more importantly, what you think of yourself. (Al-Amin, J., excerpt from chapter one). In and of itself, color has no meaning. But the white world has given it meaning — political, social, economic, historical, physiological and philosophical. Once color has been given meaning, an order is thereby established. If you are born Black in america, you are the last of that order. The biggest difference between being known as a Black man or a negro is that if you’re Black, then you do everything you can to fight white folks. If you’re negro, you do everything you can to appease them. If you’re Black, you’re constantly in and out of trouble, because you’re always messing with “the man.” If white folks say it’s more cultured to whisper, you talk loud. If white folks say gray suits are fashionable, you go buy a pink one. If they say america is great, you say america ain’t shit. Chairman Mao says, “Whatever the enemy supports, we oppose. Whatever the enemy opposes, we support.” I hadn’t read Chairman Mao when I was in high school, but I already understood that fundamental revolutionary principle. I knew white folks couldn’t do wrong right, so whatever they thought was good, I knew wasn’t. A lot of people, Black and white, have the impression that those of us who got involved in the Movement, when it started in 1960, were fighting for integration. That’s the way the white press interpreted the sit-ins and freedom rides and all that. But what they didn’t understand was that none of us was concerned about sitting down next to a white man and eating a hamburger. Anybody who thinks that is reflecting white nationalism. That’s that white supremacist attitude. Nothing is good unless it can be done in the company of white people. We would’ve been some kind of fools to get beaten up, spat on and jailed the way a lot of folks did just to sit down at a lunch counter beside a white person. Integration was never our concern. In fact, integration is impractical. You cannot legislate an attitude and integration is based upon an attitude of mutual acceptance and respect between two racial or cultural groups in the society. A law can govern behavior, but attitudes cannot be forced or enforced, and what the Civil Rights Movement was concerned with was controlling the animalistic behavior of white people. I resented somebody telling me I couldn’t eat at a certain place. It wasn’t that I wanted to eat there. Hell no! I always knew we had the best food anyway. But as part of that constant battle waged by Black people against white america, if white folks didn’t want me to eat there, in the door I went. If I had a free choice, I’d sit in the back of the bus. That’s where the heater is. We weren’t fighting for integration. We were letting white folks know that they could no longer legislate where we went or what we did. Every Black person belongs to the Movement, whether he’s been on a demonstration or not. The lives of Black people are political, because Black people carry on a constant war against “the man.” So I was political, even before I knew the word, but it wasn’t until I got into high school that I became involved in more overt political activities. (Al-Amin, J., excerpt from chapter five). SNCC, as an organization, had come into Alabama after the summer of 1964… People were sent in to organize Black voters. I went to work in the state in the fall of ‘66. The election was coming up… We had candidates running in Lowndes County, Dallas County, and potentially, Greene County, where I was working. However, in Greene County we would have to fight just to get the candidates on the ballot… At first, we just spent our time going to meetings and getting to know the people, just basic organizing. As it got closer to election time, we found out that the power structure didn’t have any intention of putting the Black candidates’ names on the ballot. So we began to talk about a “Freedom Election,” which would create a parallel government; Black people are 87% of the country. We were trying to get people to see that people are the real government. Establish your own government in opposition to this corrupt government and if it calls for a confrontation, be prepared for that… People began to dig the idea. So I drafted a letter to Johnson, the Attorney General, the Governor and the Attorney General of Alabama. And I told them that we, the Black Panther Party, were gonna hold freedom elections and boycott the regular election, because our candidates’ names would not appear on the ballot. It was surprising what started to develop then. The oldline negro leadership, the ministers, and even Mr. Gilmore, didn’t want to be labeled the Black Panther Party. Gilmore had some experience working with SCLC and he was still in that integration bag and he liked to take trips up north to talk to white folks and shit like that. But we were working with the poor people out in the community and were developing a base. We were gonna hold our own election and let the people decide who they wanted. One day, a week before the election, George Greene and I went downtown… While we were there they accused us of trying to steal a gun and arrested us for grand larceny. …It was just a way to get us out of action until after the election. They held us on $1,000 bond. While we were in jail, we saw in the newspapers that they had postponed the election as a result of the pressure that we had mounted in the community. They were claiming that the Freedom candidates had been nominated illegally, although Alabama has a law which says that they can be nominated by mass meeting. Getting the elections postponed was a victory for us. When we got back to Greene County, we found out that George Wallace said his wife had won every county but one — Greene County. No greater tribute could have been paid to our work than that. Wallace said that his wife lost Greene County because of the Black Power niggers over there. (Al-Amin, J., excerpt from chapter nine). Al-Amin, J. (1969, 2002). Die, Nigger, Die!. Lawrence Hill Books. These excerpts are drawn directly from chapters one, five and nine of Die Nigger Die!, an autobiography by H. Rap Brown who was a powerful revolutionary in the Black Power Movement as chairman of SNCC and ex-officio member of the Black Panther Party. Rap later changed his name to Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin and for years lead more than twenty-five Muslim groups in Atlanta, Georgia. He is now serving a life-sentence in prison after being convicted of murdering a sheriff’s deputy, a crime many believe he never committed and was in fact falsely convicted of as a means to imprison him. �STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 5 Local Issue Prison System Overhaul With a prison population that is housing 33% more inmates than it is designed to, legislators have taken it into their own hands to change the prison system. By corey giBson contriButing Writer A n overhaul of the Ohio prison system was set out earlier this month. The main goal of the new legislation is to manage the growth of the prison population, reduce spending on corrections, and improve the cost-effectiveness of existing criminal justice system resources and reinvest in strategies that can increase public safety. The new proposal contains elements, such as shortened sentences for inmates who complete certain programs. These new terms housing 33% more inmates than it is designed to, legislators have taken it into their own hands to change the prison system. Stephen JohnsonGrove, an attorney at the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, said the new legislation is going to increase safety, reduce prison overcrowding and saving the state over $42 million. “It saves money by reducing the ability of judges to put people in prison for low-level nonviolent offenses,” said JohnsonGrove. “Those include drug offenses, property offenses and reduce those offenses in varying ways.” State Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, who was enthusiastic about the new reform, spoke at a Statehouse news conference in the beginning of the month and introduced the legislation. “My mother used to tell me you can’t fit 10 pounds in a 5-pound bag. That’s what we’re trying to do in Ohio,” Seitz said. “The time for talk is over. No more sticking our heads in the sand.” Sen. Seitz previously tried to get the legislation passed last year but was turned down by the democrats. That legislation, called Senate Bill 22, sought to use state taxpayer dollars in a more efficient way. Some of the provision he set forth were “Locking up more and more people was not helping the problem. Incarceration was a bad choice.” would allow inmates time off their sentences and diverting first time property and drug offenders to probation or treatment and not prison. Proposals like this were rejected by voters in the past. By following the blueprint crafted by the Council of State Government’s Justice Center, the state is going to be able to cut back on the $8 billion deficit and start sending more money to education and medical priorities and out of the prison system. Two different ballots in the past 10 years that petitioned for prisoners to be given time off their sentence and treatment for incarceration, have been turned down by voters. But with a prison population that is raising the felony theft threshold from $500 to $1,000, increasing the potential number of credit days inmates can earn based on the type of offense, and give the Director of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation the authority to petition for an inmate to be released based on good behavior if the inmate has served at least 85% of the prison term. These provisions are going to be rolled in with the new legislation. Some of the key points in the new proposal are toughening sentences for the most serious and violent crimes, studying better methods of restitution payment to victims, and offering counties $2,000 for each person on felony probation who does not go to prison. “For so long the lock-em-up mentality has been cavalier in costs,” said JohnsonGrove. “It was ‘we don’t care, we have to lock them up because that is good and tough on crime.” JohnsonGrove said this mentality turned out to be a bad idea and not just because it was a waste of money. “When you start to throw people into jail all will-nilly, you are more likely to make them rescind,” said JohnsonGrove. “Low level non­ violent offenders get put into prison and they learn more and they become more hardened. Locking up more and more people was not helping the problem. Incarceration was a bad choice.” And with this new legislation less people will be put into the prison system and more people will be put into treatment programs. JohnsonGrove said that locking up a drug addict is not helping them treat the addiction. By putting these people into treatment the addicts can get help with their addiction and be less likely to commit drug related crimes again. “A mental and health oriented perspective on drug abuse is far more productive than any corrections oriented perspective on drug abuse,” said JohnsonGrove. Another big change to the prison system is going to be the way probation is handled. As of right now more than 254,000 people are under some form of probation by 187 different agencies. Since there is no coordination between the agencies, no standards for what type of probation should be joined with certain crimes and no studies that show the effectiveness of probation, people can easily be lost in the probation system. “No one knows what is going on in probation,” said JohnsonGrove. “Sometimes they are putting low-risk offenders in intensive probation, which means more hoops to jump through. When you do this you damage that person and give them more of a chance to rescind.” The legislation has received backing from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Buckeye Institute and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. It has also received bipartisan support, in which both parties want to stop the revolving door system; a system that gives short prison sentences, releases the criminal back into society unsupervised and then allows the person to be put back into prison. Seitz described such inmates as getting “a short course in Crime University.” The legislation is expected to be reintroduced in the 129th General Assembly. Great Books! visit www.cincybooks.com facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/ streetvibesnews streetvibes. wordpress.com �6 Issue ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 My Life at Caracole ­ Hope for Those Who Need it most anonyMous Let me start with a little about myself and why I am here. I have always had a good life with top paying jobs and could do just about anything I wanted. I was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS about five years ago. In April 2010 I became ill with pneumonia and my health started to go down hill from that point, also the company I was working for went out of business around the same time. The company was paying me cash and that meant no benefits and no more money when the company closed. I left the life I was so accustom to and ended up in the Cincinnati area homeless. My case manager at Stop AIDS told me about Caracole and how they provide housing for homeless people living with HIV/AIDS. Caracole has a recovery and a traditional housing program. The recovery program is for people living with drug addictions that need housing. The traditional program is for people who just need housing. Both programs have the same goal, to help each resident accomplish their goals and independence. When you move in to Caracole, you share a threebedroom apartment with up to two other people. You don’t only have the support and knowledge of all the staff, but also the other residents in the program are going through the same things you are. The apartments are fully furnished and secure. There is staff on the premises at all times. Caracole provides you with just about everything you need to succeed. You are provided a home atmosphere with your own bedroom, food, personal hygiene products and a bus card when you need transportation for appointments. All the case managers and staff are very supportive and willing to help you with any problems or things you may need. Caracole is committed to keeping you safe and your information confidential. One thing I truly believe is that you could try your entire life and never be able to assemble a top-notch team like you have working for you at Caracole. As a resident of Caracole I feel fortunate to be in the program and working to get my independence. I have had the experience of trying to enroll in programs…setting appointments…and being told they don’t have any openings. Then my case manager would call and accomplish all I needed. Living at the Caracole house is a comfortable situation with no discrimination toward anyone. I believe there is no shame in having HIV/AIDS or being homeless. The shame is when you do nothing to improve your condition and quality of your life. I have been in Caracole for less than three months and I’m in the process of getting my GED, having necessary dental work, and I have started to look into permanent housing. I don’t think I would be even close to any of this if it wasn’t for Caracole. Caracole: 23 Years of Service to the HIV/AIDS Community Caracole’s mission is to provide safe, affordable housing and supportive services for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. Founded in 1987, Caracole House was the first licensed adult care facility in Ohio for people living with HIV/AIDS. Today, Caracole provides direct care services and housing to people with HIV/AIDS and their families along a continuum of care. More than 1,200 people have been housed through Caracole’s programs. For more information please call 513.761.1480 or visit www.caracole.orgv A Shooting at Tucker’s:The Follow Up In the previous issue, Streetvibes published a lengthy story dealing with reactions in Over-the-Rhine to the violent crime at Tucker’s Restaurant, a favorite eatery in the neighborhood. On Tuesday, February 1, exactly two weeks after the shooting, I visited the diner one more time to check on the situation. jiM luKen contriButing Writer tJoe Tucker seemed in a good mood as he prepared hamburgers and Tucker’s famous pancakes on the grill. Carla, Joe’s wife— injured in the shooting—was still not back to work. The telephone rang, and Rick, the waiter, told Joe that Fox News was coming in to shoot a segment and that Channel Twelve was on the way. I asked Joe what was the occasion, and he informed me that the police had apprehended a suspect whom they were convinced was responsible for the shooting. Information available at the time indicated that each of the two intruders has used shotguns, but Joe said that only one had carried a gun, which was a combination shotgun and .22 caliber rifle. The gunman fired using each side of his weapon, Joe said, hitting Carla with birdshot from the shotgun, and, apparently, paralyzing 18 year-old Ranisha Burgin with a .22 round. I asked Tucker how everyone was doing, physically and emotionally at this point. “We’re all going to get better, but it will take time.  The whole thing was terrifying,” he said. “You don’t get over that kind of thing easily.” According to Joe, the good thing is that, contrary to his expectations, business at the restaurant has been better that it was before the shooting.  Loyalty seems to be one of the virtues in Over-the-Rhine. The Enquirer (Feb 1) reported that the suspect was living in the neighborhood on McMicken Street.  According to the police report, the 21 year-old man had finally come out of hiding in order to sell some drugs, at which point they were able to apprehend him. He was charged with two counts of felonious assault as well as a number of other charges.  His bail was set at $382,000. Streetvibes apologizes for last issue’s caption under its front-page picture from Tucker’s Restaurant. The woman in the photo was Maynie Tucker, mother of the owner, not Carla Tucker, the wife. �STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 7 Local Bye Bye Berding! ­ “They handed out tens of millions as they diligently worked to slash funding for basic human services, swimming pools, health clinics and battered women’s shelters.” Jeff Berding’s Shameful Legacy justin jeffre Is Berding quitting because he can’t get the job done? Berding doesn’t seem to want to clearly explain himself to the voters.  While there does certainly nothing wrong with a person who wants to spend more time with his family, what if it’s just a lie to try and save face? Sen. Chris Dodd graciously said at his recent retirement announcement, “There’s nothing more pathetic, in my view, than a politician who announces they’re only leaving public life to spend more time with their family.” Like Dodd, Berding’s chances of being reelected looked slim after he pissed off everyone from his own Democratic Party to the Fraternal Order of Police by saying one thing and doing the exact opposite. Jeff Berding will leave office because his job with Mike Brown’s Bengals is in trouble. Berding’s job entails selling high end boxes which have becoming increasingly vacant and even hard core fans have had enough. According to one unhappy box owner, who wished to remain anonymous, “Not only does the team suck, they treat the people that waste tons of money on their over-priced boxes like crap.” He wasn’t hesitant to give a disappointing example how. According to our source, his company asked the team if they could get two on-field tickets so they could bring two terminally ill children on the field. The Jeff Berding Source: The Cincinnati Beacon team said yes, but once they got to the game Jeff Berding said they weren’t going to give them the tickets for the terminally ill kids because their company wasn’t renewing their boxes next year. This kind of behavior is Jeff Berding’s legacy. Even before his stint on council, Berding helped Mike Brown sell Hamilton County voters on a scandalous stadium deal that, at the time, must have made even the biggest corporate Welfare Kings blush. The Bengals lied in these shady negotiations—which have left the county with budget problems that continue to get worse and worse. And Mike Brown doesn’t even have the decency to field a respectable NFL team. Berding—along with his corporate owned cabal made up of Chris Bortz, Leslie Ghiz, and Chris Monzel—have been referred to as “fiscally responsible”, but they have consistently handed out corporate welfare like drunken sailors. They handed out tens of millions as they diligently worked to slash funding for basic human services, swimming pools, health clinics and battered women’s shelters. They had the “courage” to do that despite the fact that they told human services advocates they supported human services on the campaign trail. They had the “courage” to hurt our community’s most vulnerable despite the fact that a 2007 poll showed overwhelming support for funding human services. What else can we count towards this bird­ brained legacy? How about City Hall’s “Hurry Up Offense”?  Berding heralded in a set of rules that allowed every council item to get rushed through as an “Emergency Ordinance.”  This hurry-up strategy frustrates any attempt by interested citizens to get organized and to represent the people’s interests before council.  Perhaps we should also count the useless “strong mayor” form of government, an initiative for which Berding had an instrumental role before joining council.  It was the brainchild of the Cincinnati business community.  This system has done nothing to improve government, unless you count adding ceremonial positions and full staffs with high price tags. How could anyone forget the panhandling tax?  Trying to criminalize homelessness wasn’t enough for Berding.  He went so far as to try and tax the spare change thrown into a homeless vet’s cup! Taken as a whole, it’s clear the trajectory of Berding’s career:  a shill for corporate interests, an enemy of the poor and downtrodden, and an activist working to pervert democracy in an attempt to jam legislation through without public input.  The only thing worse than Berding’s legacy is the fact that his “brother” Chris Bortz gets to pick someone just like him as a replacement. 2011 �8 Local ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Van Jones: ­ An intimate conversation with a visionary for change Prominent leader provides OTR Community with a message of optimism jeni jenKins staff Writer In 1976 President Ford told the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” The US and Canada continues to celebrate the lives and achievements of great African American leaders during Black History Month every February. While it’s necessary to remember prominent African Americans from our past, it’s equally important to distinguish the contributions of our contemporary leaders who are making a difference today. Van Jones is one such leader and a visionary for change. As the co-founder of three non-profit organizations centered on empowering the disadvantaged (The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Color of Change and Green for All) Jones has already achieved admirable status; still his list of accomplishments runs even deeper. The author of the New York Times bestseller The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Solve Our Two Biggest Problems, Jones offers an insightful framework for stimulating our economy while simultaneously tackling global warming and environmental degradation. This scholarship led him to positions as special adviser on green jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality in 2009 and as a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. Additionally, Jones’ received special recognition in several publications including Essence Magazine’s 25 most inspiring African Americans in 2008 and in 2009, Ebony Magazine’s “Power 150,” as well as one of Time magazine’s 100 people who most affect our world. On January 20, this Yale-educated civil rights attorney and professor at Princeton, paid a special visit to Miami University to speak on, “Environmental Justice and the Green-Collar Economy.” Prior to his larger presentation, a small group of around 20 Over-the-Rhine community members participated in an intimate luncheon at the Miami Center for Community Engagement, where Jones spoke openly about his perspective on the economy and how small grassroots groups can come together and make a difference. According to Thomas Dutton, Director of the center, “Jones visited Over-the-Rhine to learn about the struggles that continue in urban areas for human rights.  The conversation was powerful as community residents, students, and construction workers met to discuss his uplifting and visionary message.” After hearing from voices around the room about the major concerns facing our community including poverty, joblessness, homelessness Van Jones’ Visit to GCCH Source: GCCH and gentrification, Jones offered a macro-level explanation of the complexities of our current energy situation and its connection to the local economy. As you fly into Cincinnati, Jones explains, “you see rooftop after rooftop and every one of those could have solar panels on them generating clean free electricity and that could be entrepreneurial opportunities. We have a lot of good carpenters here, you are already 80% trained just based off that. If we have the right policies in place you can start powering America with clean abundant energy that could democratize the grid.” According to Jones, one barrier to improving our economic situation is that those who control energy sources spent millions of dollars de-railing President Obama’s green agenda to prevent clean energy programs from taking off. The reason these companies can do this is because “they make 62 million dollars a day in profit, every day… these big oil companies are the most profitable companies in the history of the world.” And with energy as “the big money maker and job producer globally” some of us will likely live on a planet with 10 billion people—and all of them are going to want to have access to products that use energy. While human civilization has been powered on non-renewable resources the question Jones poses is “how are we going to keep powering human civilization?” Jones says we must recognize that the demand for energy is going to go up while the supply for fossil fuels is going to go down, leaving a big gap. As a result, we have to either bring our demand for energy down or fill that gap with new energy sources. The creation of new energy sources will create a tremendous set of opportunities to launch new businesses, hire people and make the country less dependent on foreign oil sources. Unfortunately, standing in the way are corporate interests who don’t want to see successful green policies in place because “one of the key struggles with democracy right now,[is] who is going to control the energy future of America and therefore the world.” Jones draws parallels to those corporate interests standing in the way of making the Over-theRhine neighborhood good for the people who live here instead of for those who don’t. As Indiana, Michigan and Ohio are starting to shed populations due to the economic situation, this could be circumvented if we found a way of turning the “rust belt” into a “green belt.” Jones was tasked with figuring out how to do make his ideas a reality, “I can tell you right now it’s doable. The thing about green products, wind turbines, solar panels—they don’t make themselves, they don’t put themselves up, and they don’t distribute themselves around the world. That’s all labor, that’s all jobs.” With successful green policies in place we can “put all your auto workers back to work, and all your steel workers back to work” and “you don’t have to wait for any new technology, you don’t have to wait for any workers, if you can make a car you can make a wind turbine.” At the same time we have carpenters out of work and while “we may not be building a lot of new houses…we are going to have to re-build and re-green all this existing housing stock and while we are doing it throw a solar panel on top.” For Jones it’s important for Americans to understand that both political parties signed off on legislation that sent our jobs overseas, created the housing crisis and led to the decline of our education system and while the people are divided as a result, we need to know that “it’s a puppet show, and at the end of the day it’s going to come down to people like me and you. We changed history when we elected president Obama… but we sat down and now we need to stand back up.” According to Jones, in all of these little struggling communities “we have to unite... America is going down the drain because we are not united.” Jones’ talk with the small group was just one of hundreds of talks he is having in the coming months as he travels around the country talking to people from disadvantaged backgrounds, advocates and “ordinary people” getting them on the same page making his proposal for a clean energy economy a little more real. For Catie Dargue of the Coalition for the Homeless, Jones’ talk made a real impact “It’s an inspiration to Cincinnati and our country that someone cares enough about the future of Americans that he would sit down and learn about our community.  Being able to communicate his vision for our country while listening to our successes as well as concerns, gives me hope.” On July 4th of this year, we will see the launch of a nationwide campaign called 1Voice. This campaign is aimed at uniting communities and working towards lifting people out of poverty. For more information about Van Jones and his 1Voice Campaign visit www. vanjones.net. �STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Continued ­ 9 �10 International News STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Kato murder re-ignites gay rights debate ­ It’s often said that the first casualty of war is truth. That time-honored truism has gathered more weight in Uganda over the past week as conservatives and human rights campaigners exchange conflicting theories over the demise of prominent gay activist, David Kisuule Kato. joe oPio  WWW.streetneWsservice.org F or the government of Uganda, the timing of Kato’s death couldn’t have been more unfortunate. Kato was killed on January 26, a national holiday perennially reserved to commemorate the ascent to power of the ruling National Resistance Movement party. Kato was the face of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an advocacy group actively campaigning against the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill. It’s a story that has proved enduring ever since, forcing the government on the defensive. The international press, foreign governments and gay rights activists have cast Kato’s death as the inevitable result of the prevailing climate of homophobia in Uganda; a charge the government refutes. Kale Kayihura, the Inspector General of Police, insists that Kato’s murder had nothing to do with his activism, adding that he was just a victim of a private disagreement. “The circumstances surrounding this incident have no indication regarding Kato’s campaign against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill before Parliament,” Kayihura said days after the murder became public. Human rights activists, though, beg to differ. They maintain that it’s no coincidence that Kato got killed a mere month after his face appeared in a local tabloid that published pictures  and addresses of Uganda’s “Top 100 Homosexuals” under the screaming front-page headline, “Hang Them!” In a press release soon after the police’s statement, the activists wrote: “The Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and the entire Ugandan Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex Community stand together to condemn the killing of David Kato and call for the Ugandan Government, Civil Society, and Local Communities to protect sexual minorities across Uganda. David has been receiving death threats since his face was put on the front page of Rolling Stone Magazine, which called for his death and the death of all homosexuals.” Kato’s lawyer claims that the activist had feared for his safety prior to his death, even alerting police. But the government and conservatives believe that by condemning the Kato’s murder as homophobia-driven, the local gay rights movement and its foreign supporters are intent on pushing their agenda by converting a victim of random violence into a martyr. The heated war of words between the conservatives and human rights activists has cooled down a notch since police arrested Enock Nsubuga, who confessed to perpetrating the murder. But the two sides continue to exchange harsh rhetoric. “The killing was an act of thuggery,” Information and National Guidance Minister Kabakumba Masiko stated at a recent press conference. “It was not organised because of what he was. Much as homosexuality is prohibited by the Constitution, his death was a (private) mission gone bad. The government is doing whatever it takes to ensure that those who killed Kato are brought to book.” Val Kalende, the Chairperson of the Board at Freedom and Roam Uganda however asserts that the government can’t wash its hands clean of its culpability. Human Rights activist Sarah Mukasa talks to the media during a press conference organized by gay rights campaigners in uganda. Source: Joe Opio “David’s death is a result of the hatred planted in Uganda by US Evangelicals in 2009. The Ugandan Government and the so-called U.S Evangelicals must take responsibility for David’s blood!” But who exactly is telling the truth? Gay activists remain bitter that soon after Kato’s death, local police tried to dismiss the murder as just the latest in a spate of crimes orchestrated by iron-bar wielding thugs. The police maintains that its initial position was a logical assumption, given that Kato was a resident of the same Mukono area which has seen over a dozen people clobbered to death using iron-bars in the last two months. The police has since changed its stand, especially after arresting Nsubuga, an ex-convict. Nsubuga admitted guilt over Kato’s murder in an extra-judicial statement he recorded at Mukono magistrate’s court. The 22-year old Nsubuga revealed that he killed Kato for enticing him into homosexual practices with material and financial promises that never materialized. “The suspect was working in Kato’s garden at the time of the activist’s death,” revealed Police chief Kayihura. “According to the suspect, Kato, 46, promised to pay him money for having sex with him. But Kato never fulfilled his promise. The suspect then took a hammer from the bathroom and fatally beat Kato. The attack was not a hate crime, as has been widely reported, but rather stemmed primarily from the suspect’s desire to get money from Kato.” Kayihura nevertheless cautioned the public and anti-homosexuality pastors against being insensitive to the gay community in the country. “You must be sensitive. You should stop engaging in extremist campaigns that can be interpreted differently.” If the police had hoped that Nsubuga’s confession would put the matter to rest, they must have been monumentally disappointed. Gay rights activists have questioned the veracity of Nsubuga’s confession, stating that, if anything, the latter’s claims are designed to further portray gay people in unflattering light. “Nsubuga’s reasons for murdering Kato depict Kato as a deceitful human being,” a SMUG official said. “He’s also portrayed as someone who used promises to make Nsubuga do things the latter didn’t want to do. This is consistent with messages from homophobes who have accused the gay rights movement of using gifts and money to entrap and entice young students into homosexuality. This is wrong. It’s also a calculated attempt to smear Kato’s name even in death and to further depict the gay rights movement in Uganda in negative light. By showing that Nsubuga murdered Kato because of lies, the police might even be trying to send out a message that all gay relationships are bound to end this way; in cold-blooded murder.” Some activists have gone on to express fear that Nsubuga might just be a fall guy, as the government strives to deflect the international scrutiny that could fall upon Uganda were Kato’s death to be proven to have been motivated by bias toward gays. It’s an understandable, if not verifiable suspicion, seeing as Uganda’s sodomy laws that punish homosexual acts by 14 years to life in prison and the 2009 Anti-Homosexuality Bill that seeks the death penalty have already foisted an unforgiving international spotlight upon this land-locked East African nation of 30 million inhabitants. WANT MORE STREETVIBES? | CHECk OuT THE STREETVIBES BLOG http://streetvibes.wordpress.com �11 STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Egypt in Crisis Human Rights Activists and Journalists Endangered laura osBorn-coffey, aMnesty international usa grouP 86 coorDinator The government says the protests are illegal and has launched a crackdown, reportedly arresting up to 1,000 people. Source: AFP/Getty Images. Imagine that you go into work on an ordinary morning. Only this morning, you are arrested and pulled out of your ordinary office, just for doing what you have always done - working towards ending human rights abuses. Not many of us have had this happen - but on Thursday February 3rd, in Cairo Egypt, an Amnesty International staff person, and a Human Rights watch staff were both taken from their office and arrested. Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty USA reported to the Amnesty USA membership on Thursday February 3rd: “Our hearts nearly stopped this morning when we heard the news… one of our own, a member of the Amnesty International staff, was detained by police in Cairo after the Hisham Mubarak Law Center was taken over by military police. Our colleague was taken along with at least three others, including a delegate from Human Rights Watch. We do not know their current whereabouts.” He pleaded with the American activists to step up to the table and take action. Many people ask, “Why should Americans be concerned with the human rights abuses occurring in the wake of the protests and violence in Egypt?” Amnesty’s simple response is: because violence to the human rights of people in one country is violence to human rights anywhere around the globe. It always seems that the first people targeted in any such protests are the journalists, for this is the group of people who make sure that the rest of the world knows what is going on and the human rights defenders, who report on abuses by governments. We have seen pattern this recently in such other countries such as Myanmar, Sri Lanka and China. Amnesty’s stance is that human rights monitors, including journalists, be allowed the freedom to do their crucial work at this time of crisis, in whatever country the crisis may be occurring. A second and more immediate reason is that any disruption in the Middle East usually causes an immediate rise in our national gas prices, which then increases the prices of all of our goods, which we see at the groceries and other stores. Leading up to the present conflict in Egypt was the parliamentary elections in November 2010, which were marred by violence and irregularities. Eight people were reported to have died, scores more were wounded across the country, and Amnesty International called for Egyptian authorities to open independent investigations into the deaths. The organization is also concerned that the election violence bodes poorly for expected presidential elections later in 2011. On Jan. 1, 2011, a bombing of a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria killed 23 and injured many others. Amnesty condemned the attack, and noted that the government had failed to protect Copts and other religious minorities. In addition, government security forces harassed and intimidated people who were engaged in public displays of support for victims of the bombing. Amnesty International has called on the Egyptian Vice President, Omar Suleiman, to stop the violence unleashed by pro-government supporters in Cairo and across the country amid fresh reports of a renewed crackdown on journalists and activists. Journalists were reportedly detained, and activists harassed by security forces following recent violence that saw at least five killed and several hundred wounded in the fighting between pro- and anti-government supporters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. One of the most pressing human rights concerns that Amnesty International has documented is the use of emergency legislation to arrest and detain people without charge or trial; especially after the protests. Last week these concerns were made very real with the arrests of our fellow human rights workers in Egypt. Larry Cox pleaded with our American membership: “Please, we need you to speak up with the voice of the international human rights movement. Tell Egyptian officials to release Amnesty International’s staff member and all human rights monitors.” And they and Amnesty members worldwide did so. On February 5th, in Cairo, the Amnesty International staffs were reunited with their missing colleagues. They stated, “While we were incredibly relieved by the news of their release after 32 painful and sleepless hours of anxiety, and excited by our few quick phone conversations with them, we could not rest until they were in a place of safety and were able to get a much needed meal, shower and clean beds. Our anxiety was heightened by the fact that they were released some four hours after the curfew began. We weren’t sure where they were being dropped off by the military police who had detained them, without any proof of identity, taken from them at the time of arrest. “Luckily, there was a happy resolution and a happier reunion not too long after in front of a hotel. We were incredibly proud of our colleagues, who despite their fatigue and clearly difficult ordeal, were joking about parts of their experience in detention. A foreign photographer held with them who had been surprised that when told “five minutes” in Egypt this did not actually mean five minutes.” There are still many other people who remain arrested or detained in Egypt, and many people worldwide are watching with great interest to see what will occur in neighboring countries, such as Syria and Jordan. Go to www.amnesty-usa.org to take immediate action on the human rights crisis in Egypt. Whether in a high-profile conflict or a forgotten corner of the globe, Amnesty International, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, campaigns for justice, freedom and dignity for all. Laura Osborn-Coffey, MSW, LISW-S Laura has been dedicated to the field of social work for the last 25 years. She graduated from the Salem International University with a Bachelors of Science in Equestrian Studies, then attended and graduated from the University of Cincinnati, School of Social Work in 1986. Experienced in a variety of fields including mental health, alcohol/ drug, and the aging populations, she recently worked at Bethany House Services, a non-profit homeless service agency in Hamilton County, OH. Laura has been an active member of Amnesty International, on the local and Mid-west levels over the last 25 years. She is the coordinator of the Cincinnati Local Group 86 – the community based chapter of Amnesty International USA. She is also Amnesty’s ‘Area Coordinator’ for the state of Ohio, a role in which she stays in touch with the Amnesty groups statewide. She has been a ‘trainer’ within Amnesty, has done workshops at the local, regional and national level; and she has assisted with coordinating three Midwest Regional Amnesty conferences in Cincinnati since 1989. Within Group 86, Laura and the local volunteers have organized events over the years to bring the plight of worldwide human rights abuses to the attention of the greater Cincinnati community. In her spare time, Laura does spinning, weaving, quilting, writing, and gardening; she has five cats and two horses, a husband and two grandchildren (not in that order). �12 Interest ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Aliens with Extraordinary Skills ­ A review about illegal immigrants not E.T. catie Dargue staff Writer F ive minutes into the play and I’m still waiting for the UFO to land and these so-called Aliens to emerge. Instead I’m watching a Moldovan Clown make balloon animals and wondering if I’m in the right play. Oh, I get it. You’ll have to excuse me, I was thinking space aliens. The Know Theatre’s production of Saviana Stanescu’s play is full of all sorts of hidden surprises,making you think twice about what you’re seeing. The play starts with Nadia from Moldova and her Russian clowning pal Borat (yes like the movie), running away to New York to attempt to blend in the crowd, escape from a couple of agents that are chasing them for their fake circus Visas, and maybe even find happiness or a Green card. However, Nadia (who refers to herself as Ginger), finds it more difficult than expected to come up with the $750 rent to sleep on her roommate and budding friend, Lupita’scouch. Meanwhile, Borat gets stuck working as a cab driver and feels exhausted by the work hours as well as the people of the city. It’s your basic story of boy and girl go separate directions, boy stalks girl’s roommate, random guy from Craigslist stalks both girls, and everybodyends up okay in the end. Or something likethat. The play has a fun and light atmosphere magnetically pushingagainst the very real problem that the two immigrants face. The INS agents (played by two women: Beth Harris and MJ Jurgensen) provide a very haunting reality for Nadia along her journey, however, their characters are so ‘clownish’ in many ways that they come across as comic relief and less of a threat. Almost unnecessary to the script,they are the most confusing of characters. Liz Vosmeier’s balances her naturally comic Ginger with therealities that face Nadia. That said, Kaitlin Becker’s performance of the aspiring actress roommate Lupita is close to stealing the show from Nadia. Matthew Lewis Johnson has some very touching moments as his character Borat struggles to find if it’s love or if it’s a Green card he’s after. My favorite line had to be, “That Mexican Pizza guy was really hot for you and he just got his Visa.” Bob, played by George Alexander, captures the annoying guy you learn to love. My only observation about the character’s situation is that as someone who is personally married to a Green card holder, I know it’s not as easy as just getting married to stay in the country and I questioned the Liz Vosmeier and Matthew Lewis Johnson clown around in Aliens with Extraordinary Skills. Credit: Deogracias Lerma. playwright’s research on the subject which becomes one of the major themes of the show. Besides that, my biggest criticism was probably of the set. The idea was creative enough but perhaps didn’t translate as well from the design board to the construction. Three movable walls form the various locations for the actionand set pieces can be moved in and out through holes in the walls. The entire wall is lined with 8.5 x 11in paper immigration forms;however I couldn’t see this until after the show when I ventured on set to see what I had been staring at for the last couple of hours. The holes in the setare covered by paper too but only in long rows which allow for items to be rolled in or out. Think those big floppy clothsyou drive under to enter a car wash. My first thought was, ‘will this set last for the whole run of the show?’ An interesting concept but the construction didn’t translate well and in places the assembly looked a bit messy. Some inspired designs with video recording and projection were produced thatdidn’t distract from the play but rather enhanced the scene. My favorite was a car driving through New York for Borat’s cab. The costumes are fun and there’s an effective use of staying with a theme for each character. Nadia in a giant hamburger suit saying, ‘Everything is possible’ is one of those perfect ephemeral moments enhanced by the costuming. All and all, it’s worth the wonderfully priced tickets at Know Theatre and is a very unique way of looking at a current hot topic and political event from the point of view of the people most affected. I’ll even forgive the playwright for suddenly breaking the forth wall at the end to catch the audience up on what transpired. Just be ready for anything in this play as nothing is too farfetched. Except for UFOs and space Aliens, don’t get your hopes up as they are not in this play. Jan 29th – Feb 26th 2011. You can purchase tickets online at www.knowtheatre.com or call the Know Theatre box office at (513) 300-KNOW (5669). �STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Excerpts from Looking Beyond the Storm: Selections of Poetry By MalcolM o. varner Beyond the Storm True Love Reverberate When Art gave birth to Writing, May the melodies of my words echo hope across hopeless hearts. she had no idea how deeply for her daughter I’d fall. A belle dame is she, so pure in every way, upon each occasion we meet is sure to brighten up my day. Of her I dream at work and likewise why I come home running. Her body is filled with sounds that titillate my ears, the rhythm of her movements brings me to tears. Let me soar on high like an eagle, and while gliding in this here great sky, let me look below and marvel, knowing how far I’ve come. And when we’re apart, Let me soar on high like an eagle, and while flying high in the air, let me look beyond the storm, and prepare my wings to get me there. But then, when we become intertwined as one, Let me soar on high like an eagle, and while gaining new heights above storm clouds, let me use adverse winds to propel me toward my goal. and I will live to show her beauty as long as I can. Let me soar on high like an eagle, and while floating with turbulent winds to my back, let me look far ahead, flying gracefully into blue skies. 13 Story & Poetry Corner I contend with a void where empty echoes live in my heart. the consummation of our love shall not be undone. As a woman, she will complete me as a man, May the sounds of my words pierce peace into minds in misery like darts. May the rhythm and grace of her dance inspire an incessant will to win. May the style of her steps propel impoverished feet towards prosperity. May the slender lines of his smooth sculpture give awe to opportunities. May the depth of details in his design help discover hidden potential. May the cheery chirps of birds at dawn energize eyes to see newness. May the consistency of their calls inspire positive mantras to be muttered. May the light of the symphonic morning sun radiate daily delight. May the warmth of its rays renew commitment to compassion. May the acts of inhaling and exhaling give reason to fight and prevail. May the essence of life justify the act of completely playing one’s part. My Fathers house Willa D jones In my Father’s house there are many mansions Many mansions, with many rooms to rest and pray in In good times, in bad times, day, night, sleep or wake times All the time I spend in my Father’s house because his house is mines When I was homeless, a drunkard, a drug addict and all alone I found much comfort and peace just praising in song When I was hungry, hair nappy, dirty and smelling really bad I held onto my sanity, when my belief in pray was all I had As in any house with rules, my Father has commandments of ten Even though I would make mistakes, I’d always repent of my sins And ask for forgiveness with the understanding to make a change A change for the best so there would be no more fear or pain Taking what each day brings in pray and always believe Having faith to know that my Father’s will is best for me While searching for God’s love, wisdom and understanding I come into the realization of just what my heart was demanding I began to go to church to learn more about my Father’s house I found peace and my soul was saved I could finally announce I learn that there is a place in my Father’s house for everyone The young, the old, the lost and the sick at heart and mind I learned the mistakes I’d made were all of one kind I understand today that we must learn from the mistakes we’ve made And know only by the grace of God can our souls be saved So won’t you come visit in the house of my Father Learn the bible and know that with my Father there is no other Take your time and search you soul to truly find yourself An understand that in our Father’s house is where we’ll be forever safe with plenty of help �14 Sightings ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Beautiful Music, Come Rain, Snow, or Shine Thomas and Mary Chapman have been visiting Over-the-Rhine every Sunday afternoon for the last 16 years, come rain, snow or shine. They sing songs of hope and worship which lifts the spirits and gives hope to people living in this part of town. Here is a true act of social service. �Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati union Bethel St. Francis Soup kitchen Churches Active in Northside FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 762-5660 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 535-2719 591-2246 381-SAFE 768-6907 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 562-8841 872-9259 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 15 Resources ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 458-6670 977-4489 Treatment: Men Other Resources Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House 241-0490 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Justice Watch St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 961-4663 Treatment: Both 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 united Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills kitchen & Pantry AA Hotline CCAT Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-0111 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 621-5514 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 961-4080 Peaslee Neighborhood Center Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart First Step Home Anthony House (Youth) 241-2600 241-2563 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 661-4620 Shelter: Both Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-2256 Treatment: Women 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 921-1613 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Northern kentucky Brighton Center 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 721-4700 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care Hamilton/Middletown ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NkY 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Column ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Forging the Universal human ­ Martin Zeinway rebels against war and divisive identities “My artwork is a commentary on my war-torn origins and on the search for my identity”, says Martin Zeinway. “As a child I had to leave Liberia, my country of origin, devastated by an ongoing civil war, and resettle as a refugee in the USA. Before moving here I never considered myself By saaD ghosn contriButing Writer to be ‘Black’. I was Liberian, then African. To Americans, however, I am first Black, then African, then Liberian; and to Black Americans, an African, who is Black, from Liberia. Who am I in reality?” Zeinway, a Cincinnati visual artist, arrived to Alliance Academy, a Cincinnati charter school. In undergrad, Zeinway mostly developed technique, acquired skills and learned the academic side of art. Preparing for his Master in Art Education, he started questioning himself, remembering his past experiences, allowing them to emerge. Painful memories, silenced until then, resurfaced. The war he lived as a child and the damages it caused and that he experienced when visiting back his country, had never left him. Images of violence, desolation, destruction, human loss and suffering, dormant for many years, started reappearing in his drawings. “I found myself sketching bodies without limbs, exploded bleeding heads, crying individuals, displaced families…” he says. “I knew where they were coming from.” Encouraged by his professors to explore his feelings and concerns, he decided to create works about himself and his past and inform the viewer. War, violence and their negative effects, the destruction of his country and of its culture, the loss of life, disintegration of communities, became all part of his painted works. They spoke of the ugliness of armed conflicts and of the need to abolish them. A Mother’s Cry, represents an African woman crying, her sons gone, recruited to be soldiers, her daughter forced to become a sex slave. Nothing is left to her, not even food depicted as fruit in the painting, alluding to both starvation and loss of her children, essential ingredients of her life. Zeinway was also indirectly referring to his own mother, sad, separated form her son she sent away not to be killed. In Decisions, a young pregnant lady stands next to writing that says: “All I wanted is some food, and now I carry the baby of the rebels,” illustrating the unjust and inhuman pressures war places on individuals, especially women, for survival. The Peace Keeper, points to the irony of war; it shows a soccer ball next to 2 groups of fighters laying down their arms. During the war, fighters would often reunite and stop fighting just the time of a football game, the ball, thus, an elusive symbol of peace. The Role Reversal addresses the changes arm power inflicts on the traditional functioning of a community. It shows elders and elderly, in time of peace wise decision-makers of the tribe, silenced and replaced by powerful young gun-carrying fighters. Who Am I, lithographic print with watercolor. Print and Photo by Martin Zeinway the United States, with his uncle’s family, at age 14. He lived originally in Cleveland, OH, received a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from Central State University, Wilberforce, OH, a Master’s degree in Art Education form Miami University, Oxford, OH, and a Master in Fine Art degree from the University of Cincinnati (UC). He currently teaches art at Central State University and at In The Future Is Dead, an image of a man holding a gun and shooting overlaps silhouettes of kids. It refers to all the kids who lost their future becoming children fighters or who were, as well as their culture, killed due to war. Zeinway did many more paintings in his series, all focused on war, its detrimental effects on his country and life in general. In addition to his visual art, he also started writing down the outline of his life and experiences from the moment he was born. This led him to introspective analysis, to questioning about his identity, his role in a country different from his birth one, his future. It Martin Zeinway in his studio. Photo by Saad Ghosn also coincided with the beginning of his graduate school at UC. “Being at UC was challenging and frustrating at the same time,” he says. “I wanted to do something different but did not know what. I felt unable to define myself, asking constantly: Who am I? Am I an artist, an educator, a student, a Liberian, a Black, an African, an American…? I felt lost with so many layers of identity.” This is when Zeinway resorted again to his artwork for help, visualizing his dilemmas and, in the process, working towards their resolution. To emphasize his African identity he included in his new drawings and paintings Adinkra symbols from West Africa, representing popular proverbs and maxims. He also delved into the world of fashion, applying African fabrics and designs to western cloth and garments he would wear, thus pointing to the intricate stitched-up duality of his being. Who Am I?, a lithographic print with watercolor, displays the ongoing conflict between the 2 sides of his personality, the African Liberian and the American. It consists of 2 of his portraits shown back to back, one dressed in a western suit, the other in a suit layered with African fabric. In the background is the image of a child holding an AK47 gun, sitting in a classroom. Red, white and blue refer to the American flag and in the center is the Adinkra symbol of knowledge. Zeinway thus incorporated references to his African origin, his past as a child in a warring country, his experience in the West, his educated status wearing a suit, his search for knowledge… all sharing the surface of the same page, overlapping, yet coexisting in harmony. “Liberia created me and showed me how to love and care for humanity; America taught me how to live and work,” he says. “I am a man of the world, rich of many experiences; I do not want to choose. The more categories we draw, the more divisiveness we generate.” Zeinway will continue to use his art to oppose war and fight racial and social classifications. He wants his work to educate on the issues of identity, race, discrimination, and motivate for equality, peace and justice. He hopes one day to build an art school in his native Liberia to give children the opportunity to develop their creative talents at the service of a better world. Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 15-28, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: African American Achievements Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: African American Achievements Continued Pg 4: Die N-Word Die! Excerpts from the 1969 Autobiography Pg 5: Prison System Overhaul Pg 6: My Life at Caracole Pg 7: Bye Bye Berding! Pg 8: Van Jones: An Intimate Conversation with a Visionary for Change Pg 9: Continued Pg 10: Kato Murder Re0Ignites Gay Rights Debate Pg 11: Egypt in Crisis Pg 12: Aliens with Extraordinary Skills Pg 13: Poetry Pg 14: Poetry Continued Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Forging the Universal Human Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 15-28, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Elizabeth Schulenberg Jeni Jenkins Saad Ghosn Lee McCoy Jim Luken Josh Spring Willa Jones Corey Gibson Laura Osborn-Coffey Catie Dargue Malcolm O. Varner Riccardo Taylor Justin Jeffre Joe Opio Dr. Michael Washington Aimie Willhoite Jim Luken Saad Ghosn, Rob Vinit Murthy Martin Zeinway Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Activists African American Aimie Willhoite Black History Month Catie Dargue Corey Gibson David Kisuule Kato Dr. Michael Washington Egypt Elizabeth Schulenberg Gay Human Rights Immigrants Inmates Jeff Berding Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jim Luken Joe Opio Josh Spring Journalists Justin Jeffre Laura Osborn-Coffey Lee McCoy Malcolm O. Varner Martin Zeinway Poetry Prison Riccardo Taylor Rob Vinit Murthy Saad Ghosn Van Jones Willa Jones